by Avni Deshpande
from United States
Claude Monet is someone who has always been an inspiration to me, specifically because of the way in which he viewed the world, not as something hard and unchanging, but as something that is in a state of flux, constantly shifting with the light, the color, the atmosphere, and more. As I look at Monet’s work, I realize the way in which his brushstrokes are bold and untamed, yet at the same time, they come together in such an immersive fashion. Monet was not concerned with making everything perfect, but rather with the way in which something made him feel at that precise moment in time. As a senior in high school, planning to enter an art school next year, this really speaks to me.
What inspires me most about Claude Monet is his willingness to continue to paint one particular subject over and over to study its change as time and light affect it. His series, such as his gardens and water scenes, demonstrates to me the potential for curiosity and patience to help an artist grow. Monet inspires me to take time to really study my surroundings rather than rushing through a piece of art. He also inspires me to take chances and be uncertain about my art, something that is very relevant to me as I grow as an artist, knowing that art does not have rules; just self-expression and discovery, which is just as important as completion.
