Wanderlust Art & Travel 2020 Season

The 2020 Season was our first fully developed year of Wanderlust Art & Travel. I had always used concepts of travel and inspiration with my students, but I'd never done courses that brought all those elements together. During this season, I highlighted the arts district of Paris, Madrid, Brussels and Nashville. Nashville probably on the surface seems a bit strange mashed up with 3 European art meccas, but it was special because an incredible traveling exhibit of Frida Kahlo came to town and I got to experience it since I live in Music City. You can buy individual experiences, or get the whole season at a discount. I hope you enjoy the inspiration and creation as much as I LOVED creating it.

In episode 1, we travel to Paris...specifically the arts district known as Montmartre. This area of Paris, up on the hill overlooking the city, is also home to the famous basilica Sacre Coeur. Montmartre became famous for artists in the 19th century as the Impressionist Movement grew. It's also well known for the famous or perhaps "infamous" cabaret called Moulin Rouge. Impressionists such as Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Picasso, and more created, lived and even loved in this arts mecca. Through our study, I specifically highlight Suzanne Valadon as I spent time in her studio and was filled with inspiration. We finish out this experience by recreating an Impressionist Painting based on Suzanne's work A View From My Window.

Episode 2 took us to Madrid. This was REALLY special because a lot of my mom's side of the family came from Spain. Being a native Spanish speaker, it was a blast to experience the local culture and art. And the food...oh the food! Like so many big cities, you really can't experience everything in one bite. So in this episode I feature a couple of the squares, some of the unique foods, and even a surprise visit to a monastery where the nuns bake cookies and sell them through a secret doorway. I use the beauty and grace of the Flamenco dancers as my inspiration for our art piece we do together. I use the "loose" style the Impressionists used on this beautiful and colorful creation.

Unless you've  spent a ton of time in Europe, you probably don't think of Brussels as a real art destination. It probably doesn't have the notoriety that cities like Paris, Rome or London have, but it boasts 80 unique museums and it doesn't disappoint! Brussels has always been a very special city to me. Perhaps I love it because it's kind of off the beaten path and has such a unique scene. Since I've spent so much time here, in addition to some museum tours, I also take you to some of the fun spots that I enjoy like Mannekin Pis, Grand Place, and I even highlight the Smurf museum. That's right...A museum dedicated to The Smurfs! For our art project, I mix things up a bit..literally...with a mixed media piece. Crafters will LOVE this one. 

Lastly this season, we shot a really cool episode in my current hometown of Nashville, TN. Nashville is called Music City, and it's the home of Country Music. But, it also has a really cool art scene. Last year, a traveling exhibit of Frida Kahlo came to the Frist Art Center in downtown Nash, and I just HAD to go. It was a unique exhibit because it on only had many of her art works, but also recently released clothing that she wore during her life. Frida is one of my favorite artists, and it was incredible to not only see her art works, but pieces of her life. I felt like I got to understand her a lot more after spending an afternoon at this exhibit. Keeping it light and fun as we should in Nashville, our art project for this episode was a colorful mixed media piece based on Frida's life. 

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