painting a picture with words

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hi Poetry Jammers,  it’s dani here this week.
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we often use images as prompts for our writing,  usually photographs.   i personally find the feeling of poems i write from pieces of  art ~ paintings  to be far different from what i write when inspired by a photograph.  { please understand ~ i am NOT saying photography is not an art form ~ it is an amazing artform,  but today's prompt is limited to paintings. }

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many of  you aren't old enough to understand what i’m talking about when i say,  writing from a painting as inspiration instead of a photograph is like making a movie using film rather than a digital camera. for me, at least, the focus is softer… dreamier… more magical even. the entire feeling of a piece is influenced by the style  the artist used when painting.   there are many styles  { click on the name of  each painting style to learn more about it. }  here are samples of just a few  ~

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"Impression Soleil levant"   Claude Monet

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impressionism  is soft,  'out of focus'  if you will,  with the emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities.   the image above   "Impression Soleil levant"  { impression, sunrise }   by Claude Monet provoked an art critic to coin the term "impressionism" in a Parisian newspaper.

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"Starry Night"   Vincent van Gogh

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post-impressionism  extended impressionism while rejecting its limitations:   continuing the use of  vivid colours,   thick application of paint,   distinctive brush strokes and real-life subject matter.   the style is more inclined to emphasize geometric forms,   to distort form for expressive effect and to use unnatural or arbitrary colour.   "Starry Night"   above by Vincent Van Gogh is one of the best-known paintings in the world, and has been my favorite since i first saw an image of it when i was a child.  someday i hope to view it in person.

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"The Scream"   Edvard Munch

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expressionism  was a modernist movement,  initially in poetry and painting,   originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century.   its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective,  distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas.

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''Le rideau jaune''   Henri Matisse

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abstract art, such as ''Le rideau jaune'' { yellow curtain } above by Henri Matisse,   indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. this departure from accurate representation can be only slight or it can be partial or it can be complete.

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"Les Demoiselles d'Avignon"   Pablo Picasso

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Pablo Picasso  is probably the most well-known painter of the style known as  cubism  and, in fact,   is arguably the inventor.

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"Prochainement, Tournée du Chat Noir de Rodolphe Salis"   Steinlen

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my favorite style is  art nouveau,  epitomized by the works of Czech artist  Alphonse Mucha,  who is said to have invented the style.  it was an international philosophy and style of art,   architecture and applied art — especially the decorative arts — that were most popular during 1890–1910,   and was used extensively in advertising and posters.   the style is still quite popular,   particularly in jewelry.   the name  "art nouveau"   is French for   "new art."

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the prompt for this week is   art ~ painting ~

• select a style of   art ~ painting  and let it inspire you
• select a particular painting as inspiration
• write about what art means to you or how it has affected your writing... even your life
• write about a particular artist/painter
• in other words, let   art ~ painting   { not photography } be your inspiration this week

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all of the above images are in the public domain and therefore free to use.   please do not use a modern-day artist's work without their permission.   the best source of artwork { in my opinion } which is free to use is Wikimedia Commons,   but even there you need to read the fine print to see if a painting is in the public domain or available for use under a Creative Commons License.   either way,  please credit the author and link back to the page where you found the image.

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as always, after you have written a NEW poem and linked it,   using Mr. Linky below,   please be sure to leave a comment here,  and then visit the poems of as many of the others who link as you can.  that is important too.  and if someone visits your site,  do him/her the courtesy of a return visit to his/her blog.  reciprocity feels good,  and we ALL like comments.  you may find inspiration for your own writing in someone else's poetry ~ that has happened to me a number of  times.  { on a personal note,  it will take me several days to visit everyone.  i appreciate your patience. }

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thank you for joining in and i hope you have fun with this prompt!

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dani
my heart's love songs
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