Miss Maru: 05/10

最近因為課業進入尾聲，要為畢業展做準備，所以很久一段時間都沒有更新部落格了。但是自己並沒有因為忙碌所以放棄任何出遊和增加見聞的機會，利用了復活期的假期，到了倫敦跟湖區(Lake District)一趟；在倫敦看了許多的展覽，去了很多博物館跟美術館，也在美麗的湖區感受了大自然的魅力。從二月到四月這段期間有好多事情想要分享，但真的苦無時間，希望等我畢業展結束再好好把一切都記錄下來！

Self Portrait as an Artist, 1888. Oil on canvas.
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

而這段時間最讓我印象深刻的收穫，除了德國之旅、讓人驚豔的湖區以外，就是我在倫敦看到的梵谷的展覽(The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters)。很幸運的我在4月7號看到了這個展覽，它是從2010年的1月23日展到4月18日，在皇家藝術學院(RAA,不是RCA)展出。我大約下午一點到，就看到了滿滿的人龍，一排就是一個半小時，才進到展場看了一個半小時的展。展場相當的大，總共展出超過35件的梵谷信件，與65幅油畫，30幅素描(詳情可上展覽官方網站)。

從小我就一直都很愛梵谷，我愛他畫裡斑斕繽紛的顏色，充滿了生命力與滿滿的熱情。是他讓我幻想過有一天，我也要當個畫家。也許現在我已經放棄這個念頭了，但是我卻不放棄任何可以看到他作品的機會。從愛丁堡、慕尼黑到倫敦，我看到了許多他的真跡，包括了兩幅他最知名的向日葵(Sunflowers)。從沒想過自己可以如此幸運，可以近距離的深深地被他的畫感動。他一直是我的偶像，也是我最愛的畫家。

在這個展覽中，我不但認識了他的生活與背景，也認識到了他的決心與性格。從他寄給弟弟的信件中可以瞭解到，他並不是一個我過去以為的狂人，而是一個認真看待作品與職業的實踐家。從他決定當畫家到過世，短短的十年間，他就創作了超過800幅的油畫與1200幅的素描。每一幅畫，他都認真的思考與實踐，不斷的超越自己，試圖以新的手法表現。

他是這樣一個努力的畫家，就算是一個藝術家，也從不鬆懈。

我也不由得思考自己是不是夠努力，有沒有像他一樣努力？如果我像他一樣努力，會不會有不同的結果？所以我想是時候，開始更認真的研究自己的作品，不管代價多大，這樣也許會有機會留下一件滿意的作品。

It's a long time I haven't updated my blog.  These days, I'm busy working with my project and was looking for some information for my project book.  However, I still used my time to have a short trip in London and Lake District in April.  I  really had a good time! I've seen many museums, galleries, exhibitions and amazing scenes..  I'd like to share everything but I don't have enough time doing this.  I hope I can write more in the future!!

Nonetheless, I choose to post the great exhibition I've seen in London - 'The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters'.  This is  Van Gogh's exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts (RAA) in London from23 January to 18 April 2010, and I was so lucky I can see it on 7th April.  I spent about 1.5 hours waiting for buying ticket in the queue, and another 1.5 hours to look at his creations and letters.  This exhibition includes over 35 original letters, around 65 paintings and 30 drawings. (for more details please go to this website) 

I love Van Gogh since I was a child. I love the colours he uses in his paintings - vivid and glaring. It's full of energy and passion. I dreamed about being a painter because of his influence. Maybe I gave it up now, but I never miss any chance to see his work. I've seen so many his paintings in different places, like Edinburgh, Munich and London, including two of his famous 'Sunflowers'. It's so unbelievable I could be so lucky seeing his work in person. I can't help being touched and motional. He is my idol and the first love painter ever.

In this exhibition, I know more about Van Gogh - not only the history of his life and paitings but his personality and determination. I thought he is a crazy and insane but talented painter before, but now I think he is not only like that, he also spent his life in a very serious way. From his letters to his brother, I could realise he considers about his work in different process and pushed himself every day. He has only being an artist for only 10 years since he decided when he was 27-year-old, but has left an abundant body of work of more than 800 paintings and 1,200 sketches.

He's a painter and works very hard. I couldn't help thinking - am I work hard enough like him? Can I work as hard as he did? If I do so, will everything be different - especially my work? I would like to try working harder. Even maybe It will cost a lot, I still could have a chance to leave great work in the world.