I recently took a trip to the MoMA and was pleasantly surprised that there was a Claude Monet Water Liles exhibit going on. Before making the switch to Graphic Design in college, my first 2 years as a liberal arts major were filled with painting and art history classes, which both fueled my love of Claude Monet and the Impressionist movement.

Recently, I’ve been bitten by the travel bug and have been thinking about taking a trip to Europe, but have been unsure of exactly where to go. After seeing the exhibit, I was reminded of a trip I took to Europe a few years ago and how amazing it would be to experience it again. During my trip, I immersed myself in art, spending days at the Louvre and The Vincent Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. However, the highlight of my trip was visiting Claude Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny, France.

Monet’s home is a beautiful and inspiring museum in itself. It is surrounded by the lush gardens, flowers and lily ponds he so beautifully painted.  I was lucky to have visited the site on such a beautiful and sunny spring day and was amazed to see in person what I’ve seen so many times on canvas.  While many people are familiar with Monet’s brushstrokes, especially his famous water lilies, a visit to his house and garden will show the inspiration behind his paintings.  This was the most inspiring trip I’ve been on, and hopefully my travels will take there again soon.

Laura