There are lots of old sayings about not being able to make a living as an artist. While I didn’t do it for a long time, I feel proud that one of my first jobs out of college was self-employed artist. Yes, I actually made a living producing limited edition serigraphs and etchings. It’s not the most glamorous job – I always smelled like paint thinner – but I did enjoy the creativity and being a part of the art community.
Now, I support the art community by trying to sneak off to museums when I travel. And I get creative fulfillment by writing and my hobbies (beading and counted cross stitch). But I’m finding it very cool that technology allows me to be a part of the art community in a new way. I have access to thousands of works of art via the internet and my mobile devices.
ICYMI – The Metropolitan Museum of Art released more than 375,000 public domain artworks online.
If you prefer more of a live experience, check out Google Field Trip. It’s available on iTunes and Android. Next time you’re out and about, open up the app and see the culture of wherever you are. A reminder that we live culture. It’s not just in museums on display.
Google has an arts and culture site that allows you to tour the Sydney Opera House and Taj Mahal. It also talks about art movements like street art and surrealism. You can view the site via your browser or their app (FREE on Android and iTunes).
Speaking of art, I like an app called DailyArt, available on iTunes and Android. Its premise is very simple. One art masterpiece a day, with a little bit of background about it. It takes less than a minute and you learn so much.
Another fave app of mine is called Today in History. If you’re into daily trivia, this is a site that tells you what happened on this day in history including battles, documents, and deaths. I also just noticed that it interfaces with the Apple Watch. I might have to check that out. It’s available on Android and iTunes for free. There’s a small purchase to eliminate ads.
This list doesn’t even include the art you can create on your own with adult coloring books. I so enjoy coloring apps like Recolor and Colorfy. In fact, I colored my favorite work of art for this post, Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night.
So, even if you don’t live near a museum, you can still be surrounded by art and culture.