How Travelling Can Benefit an Artist
Travel can offer great benefits for an artist, from having new experiences and exploring new cultures to a simple change of scenery and opportunity to relax and get a fresh perspective on life. These experiences can offer new sources of inspiration that can consciously and sub-consciously influence our artwork and push our art in new directions.
Travelling can be a source of education as you are exposed to different forms of art, different subject matters or new art techniques. A new perspective allows you to critique and challenge your own work, as you explore new ideas or provide confirmation for the focus of your work.
In this blog post I have summarised the key benefits of travelling for an artist.
Table of Contents
The history of art travel
Travelling for art inspiration has been a long-trodden path. Many great artists of the past were cultural tourists and saw travel as integral to their art practice.
During the Renaissance period, Leonardo da Vinci travelled around Italy and France and Michael Angelo regularly travelled across Italy, whilst Albrecht Dürer travelled across Europe from Germany and the Netherlands to Italy.
During the 18th and 19th Century, the Grand Tour was considered an important feature of artistic education and learning. It often involved a trip through Europe and primarily Italy, with a focus on understanding and being inspired by the arts of classical antiquity and the Renaissance period. The Grand Tour inspired neoclassical art and romantic art movements.
Not all artists of the romantic movement travelled through southern Europe. Some artists such as Chateaubriand travelled through North America, from Philadelphia to Louisiana; and Eugène Delacroix journeyed through North Africa, where he discovered Tangier, Meknes, Algiers and Oran.
Learning from other Artists
Travelling to new destinations provides an opportunity to view works from artists of the past or emerging artists from the local area.
Art retreats provide a travelling opportunity dedicated to creatives and are becoming increasingly popular.
Alternatively, travelling to an art course to learn a new technique or improve your existing skills can also be a great way to reinvigorate your art practice. At these events, there is access to an expert tutor and participants can learn from each other.
Inspiration for new artworks
Much of the inspiration for my artwork comes from the experiences I have had while travelling. I spent time living in Padova in Italy and have had long trips to Peru and Portugal. These trips have provided inspiration that has endured for many years.
Trips further afield to new regions and countries expose you to different architecture, cultures, climates, materials, light, colours and textures, as well as tastes and smells. All of which can contribute to the creative process.
It is not always necessary to go so far to find new inspiration, and it’s also possible to get inspiration from City breaks and visiting interesting areas close to home. I have written blog posts about the inspiration found in London, Southwold and Whitstable - all places that are within a 2 hour drive from where I live.
Whenever I travel I try to buy a piece of art, I usually aim for something that is traditional to the local area, although I have returned with less traditional pieces over time. I find they are a great source of inspiration many years later as well as a great way to support other artists.
Taking plenty of photos is helpful to make sure you capture as much of your experiences as possible for when you get back home. It is also worth having a sketchbook to hand to make notes and draw sketches. I would recommend making at least one sketch each day of your travels to make the most of every experience. Inspiration can come from anything, it is best to be prepared so you don’t lose any opportunity.
Overcoming creative block
Many artists experience creative block at some point. Arranging a trip to break up a daily routine could be just what is needed to overcome a creative block.
Whether it is a trip to the coast, countryside or a City break to somewhere not far from home or a longer trip abroad, a break away can trigger new ideas and inspiration.
Please see my blog post on ways to overcome a creative block for more ideas on this topic.
Re-energising
The work of an artist doesn’t end at creating the artwork, there are exhibitions or art fairs to prepare for, there is marketing and social media to think about, as well as packaging up orders to be sent to customers. This means there is very little downtime, so it can be a real benefit to take some time away to relax and re-energise. It can feel counter-intuitive to take a break, when you have so much to do, but a break can fill you with fresh energy that is really beneficial in the long run.
Where should an artist visit?
There are no rules on where an artist should travel to. The possibilities are endless, but I have a number of blog posts about different places that I find inspiring and would definitely recommend visiting for art inspiration.
Once you have decided on your destination, here is a list of ideas to help you plan your trip:
Art galleries
Art fair, please read my article here for more about Art Fairs.
Art Festivals or markets, please read my article here for more about Art Festivals.
Museums
Theatres
Music gigs or festivals
A walk in the local parks, countryside, woods, mountains or along the coast
An activity such as cycling or horse riding or nature spotting
A boat trip along the river or at sea
I hope this blog post has encouraged you to take a trip to inspire your artwork. If you feel something is missing from this post, please email me and let me know at [email protected].
