As we stay in to stem the spread of COVID-19 it is important that we keep our spirits up and stay in touch with others. We now have more time to paint and sharing your paintings with friends while sequestered helps boost spirits. Form email groups with your friends and send your recent paintings to each other, inviting comment.
Here are more things we can do to stay informed and stimulated:
VISIT THE SAINT LOUIS ART MUSEUM VIRTUALLY
The Saint Louis Art Museum holds a world-renowned collection of approximately 34,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of history and cultures. More than 2,700 objects, including the highlights below, are currently on view in our collection galleries. Learn more about these one-of-a-kind works of art in our online collection. If you are a member of the SLAM they are also offering an Object of the Day which is sent to you via email.
10 World-Class Museums You Can Visit Online
1. THE LOUVRE
The Louvre is not only one of the world’s largest art museums, but it’s also
one of Paris’s most iconic historic monuments. The museum offers free
online tours of some of its most important and popular exhibits, such as
its Egyptian Antiquities and works from Michelangelo. You can take a 360-degree
look at the museum, and click around the rare artifacts to get additional
information on their histories.
2. THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
Founded in 1937, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. provides virtual tours of its gallery and
exhibits. You can view its current exhibitions and listen to audio and
video recordings of past lectures online.
3. THE BRITISH MUSEUM
With a collection that totals more than 8 million objects, London’s British
Museum makes some of its pieces viewable online. The museum also teamed up with the
Google Cultural Institute to offer virtual tours using Google Street View technology.
4. THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the architecture of the Guggenheim’s
building itself is quite impressive, but you don’t want to miss these up-close
views of some of the priceless pieces of artwork inside. The museum makes some
of its collections
and exhibits available online for people who want to get a taste of what
the museum has to offer, including works from Franz Marc, Piet Mondrian, Pablo
Picasso, and Jeff Koons.
5. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
The Met is home to over 2 million works of fine art, and their website features
an online
collection and virtual tours of some of its most impressive pieces,
including works from Vincent van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, and Giotto di Bondone.
In addition, The Met also works with the Google Cultural Institute to make even more artwork (that’s not featured in its own online
collection) available for view.
6. MUSÉE D’ORSAY, PARIS
You can virtually walk through this popular gallery that houses
dozens of famous works from French artists who worked and lived between 1848
and 1914. Get a peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, and Gauguin, among
others.
7. RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM
Explore the masterworks from the Dutch Golden Age, including works from Vermeer
and Rembrandt. Google offers a Street View tour of this iconic museum, so you can feel
as if you’re actually wandering its halls.
8. VAN GOGH MUSEUM, AMSTERDAM
Anyone who is a fan of Van Gogh can see his works up close (or, almost up
close) by virtually visiting this museum – the largest collection of
artworks by Vincent van Gogh, including over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and
over 750 personal letters.
9. THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES
European artworks from as far back as the 8th Century can be found in this
California art museum. Take a Street View tour to discover a huge collection of
paintings, drawings, sculptures, manuscripts, and photographs.
10. THE VATICAN MUSEUMS
The Vatican Museums feature an extensive collection of important art and
classical sculptures curated by the Popes over many centuries. You can take a virtual tour of the museum grounds and iconic exhibits,
including Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.
THE GOOGLE ART PROJECT
To help its users discover and view important artworks online in high resolution and detail, Google partnered with more than 1200 cultural institutions from around the world to archive and document priceless pieces of art and to provide virtual tours of museums using Google Street View technology. The Google Art Project features fine art from the White House, the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar, and even São Paulo street art from Brazil. Here’s a complete list of museums you can visit virtually.
AMERICAN WATERCOLOR IS OFFERING WATERCOLOR ARTISTS’ PODCASTS:
Joseph Zbukvic on the Evolution of Watercolor
In this exclusive interview, Zbukvic shares his newfound confidence in the health of art as we know it, and the continuing evolution of watercolor. [listen now]
Barbara Tapp on Becoming a Painter
Tapp says it took seven years of experimenting, joining an art club, and painting with other artists en plein air to truly become a painter. [listen now]
Mario Robinson on Painting Figures
Robinson is known for his figure paintings, but here he shares his strategy for painting en plein air, including placing the figure in outdoor scenes. [listen now]
Keiko Tanabe on Being an Artist
Tanabe tells us one of the best things she did early in her career that put her on the path to success, and what it was like to quit her “day job” and become a full-time artist. [listen now]
Alvaro Castagnet on His Vision for Watercolor
“A new vision is needed from artists today,”says Castagnet, who stresses the importance of using the medium “to inject a great deal of mood in our paintings.” [listen now]
Daniel Smith is offering a special live conversation with John Cogley on watercolor on Thursday, April 2 at 4 p.m. Seattle Time.
If you have questions about your favorite color, new colors, how it’s made and yes what’s John’s favorite colors (it can’t just be one️) … anything about watercolor, your watercolor journey and John’s journey, join us on April 2nd on the DANIEL SMITH Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Do You Know About These Free Art Books Online?
American Watercolor has an article on all the free Art Books you can access online. For more information visit:
Plein Air Magazine is offering daily podcasts featuring artists at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on their Facebook page.
