Stepping inside a work of art

Research shows that embodied art experiences stick with us.

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And that is why we reference the practice of "stepping inside a work of art" in our first Artie and Martie adventure book. For Artie, as we explain in the book, looking at art is as much about studying the details as it is imagining what is going on inside through felt sensations.

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In this cARTie @ home blog activity, we encourage you and yours to try this at home with whatever work of art might be around AND/OR by looking directly at The Feeling of Nature by student-artist Shaista like Artie and Martie, as seen below.

Here's how:

1. Find a work of art you and yours want to spend some time with (option to pull up The Feeling of Nature by student-artist Shaista like Artie and Martie).
2. Start to let your eyes wander around the work of art. Start in the top right corner. Wander to the left. Then down. Take a step closer. Then take two steps back. There is no rush; indeed the longer you look, the more you see!
3. Settle into the work of art imagining your body being immersed in the colors of the piece. Can you imagine a brushstroke or mark just barely gracing the hair on your skin? Can you imagine what noise is humming between the brushstrokes and marks? How would it feel to be inside the work of art? Would you be moving? Standing still? Keep playing!

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We can't wait to hear about your experiences! If you post on social media, tag us @CTcARTie!