Milford Sound by Eugene Von Guerard. Photo by me 
Milford Sound in 2017. Photo by me
Art and Literature are creative formats that allow people to express themselves; they are able to capture a part of the artist’s spirit and enhance the readers emotions. Last week, I visited the Art Gallery of NSW for my university literature class. It was an eye-opening visit. I had never really been a painting fan, I usually lean towards books and performances on stage to get my fix of Art and Literature. This all changed when I came across a painting by Eugene Von Guerard entitled ‘Milford Sound’. My eyes were drawn to it immediately. I visited Milford Sound in 2017, and the painting looked exactly how I remembered it, despite the fact that it was painted almost 150 years ago. The way Von Guerard painted the scene really made me feel that I was standing in New Zealand looking at Milford Sound. The small details in the painting, matched with the stunning colours in the clouds, made this piece my favourite of all that we saw at the Gallery.
Art and Literature are so important in everyday life. As children, they assist in broadening our horizons and making our imagination bigger and brighter. As adults, they make us think about the world we live in and appreciate the artist and their hard work. Life without Art and Literature would be boring, like living in a black and white world. Art and Literature adds colour to our world, opens us up to a new form of appreciation not found anywhere else. While there is no one set definition of Art, I believe that if it touches your heart, then it is doing its job.
Courtney Mattick - Blog 
Courtney, a very well written blog. I really enjoyed reading it and what I like most about your writing is that you have a personal insight. You have very well understood that this is not an essay rather a blog, and have entailed a very personal opinion and approach. Also, I think it is very important to say where you got the image from and you have been so specific which is very good. Your depth and understanding of Australian Literature is really good and you undoubtedly know a lot about certain artworks.
Areas where improvement is required- you keep repeating ‘Art and Literature’ it is not a bad thing but in someway gives your response a repetitive voice. Also, try to structure it a little more, ie. introduction, body, conclusion as it will look a little neater. But aside from these minor areas for improvement, well done on such a well-written piece.
Keep it all up and I am so very looking forward to reading your upcoming blogs.
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Hi Courtney, really good job on this week’s blog. I particularly like the way you capture your own personal insights on the painting and reflect on your own opinion. I also like that you attached images of the paintings as it gave a visual representation of what you were talking about, making your blog easy to comprehend. A little bit of feedback; I picked up on a typing error where you said “live without art and literature would be boring” and I think you meant to say “life without art and literature would be boring”? Also, I think adding a little more about the actual paintings themselves and their purpose and context would help to show your understanding of them. Overall, a really good job. I look forward to reading more of your blogs 🙂
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Hi Courtney,
Firstly, I just want to say WOW! Your response really transported me, and I felt as if I was experiencing the same sense of amazement with you. I loved how you touched on a personal experience to truly encapsulate the extent of meaning the painting ‘Milford Sound’ by Eugene Von Guerard, has on you. Your wording, particularly through descriptive language, is excellently employed and allows the overall response to flow smoothly. Also, the side-by-side comparison of the painting and your photograph was a lovely touch that tied the whole response together. I look forward to reading more of your blogs, great work!
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It is wonderful how your eyes were opened to the power of Art through your previous encounter with this previous scene. What a great moment for you Courtney- I hope you go on to explore more visual art and its relationship to literature. Good work.
MG
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