Must-See Places in America

GRAND CANYON

Measuring approximately 277 miles in length, up to 18 miles in width and a mile deep, this massive chasm in northern Arizona is truly a natural wonder. For six million years, the Grand Canyon has expanded with the help of the Colorado River, and for centuries, people from all over the globe have traveled to see it (around 4.5 million per year).

MAUI

For many Hawaii vacationers, Maui is just right — offering a taste of just about everything the Aloha State has to offer, from impressive wildlife to intriguing history and culture. While on a visit here, you can shimmy alongside professional hula dancers, golf along coastal fairways, snorkel alongside five different types of sea turtles or simply lounge along some of Hawaii's most notable beaches.

YELLOWSTONE

With dramatic peaks and pristine lakes, Yellowstone is an outdoor enthusiast's paradise. Multicolored pools swirl around hot springs; verdant forests weave past expansive meadows; and volatile geysers launch streams of steaming water toward the sky. Nowadays, there's no doubt that the park is indeed extraordinary. While you walk through the park's 3,000-plus square miles of mountains, canyons, geysers and waterfalls, be prepared to share the trails with permanent residents like buffalo, elk and sometimes even grizzlies.

YOSEMITE

One of California's most beautiful natural landscapes, Yosemite National Park features nearly 1,200 square miles of sheer awe: towering waterfalls, millennia-old Sequoia trees, daunting cliff faces and some of the most unique rock formations in the United States. But despite its enormous size, most of the tourist activity takes place within a 7-square-mile area of Yosemite Valley. Even inexperienced hikers can enjoy Yosemite: Guided tours and climbing lessons are available from local adventure outfitters. Just don't expect to experience it by yourself. Like so many other American tourist destinations, crowds are the biggest obstacles to an enjoyable Yosemite vacation – at least 4 million people visit each year.

SAN FRANCISCO

A jumbled collage of colorful neighborhoods and beautiful views, San Francisco draws those free-spirited types who have an eye for edgy art, a taste for imaginative cuisine and a zeal for adventure. It's really not surprising that songwriter Tony Bennett left his heart here: The city boasts jaw-dropping sights, world-class cuisine, cozy cafes and plenty of booming nightlife venues — there's no shortage of ways to stay busy here. Spend an hour or two sunning yourself alongside sea lions on the bay, admiring the views of the city from Twin Peaks, or strolling along the Marina.

NEW YORK CITY

Cool, cosmopolitan, crowded, constantly evolving … the Big Apple blends big-city splendor with small-town charm. Amid Gotham's iconic landmarks and towering skyscrapers, you'll experience a vibrant culture permeating each of the city's distinctive neighborhoods and boroughs. Follow trendsetters to the East Village and Brooklyn to check out indie boutiques, iconic bakeries and trendy coffee shops. Afterward, peruse the racks of the sleek shops lining Fifth Avenue, admire the cutting-edge art collections at the MoMa and the Met, catch a memorable show on Broadway or sit down for a meal at the latest "it" restaurant.

1. Choose one place where you would really want to go.

2. In groups: make a poster, present fun activities, facts about that place.

3. Present it.

How to make a Christmas Card. Step 3. Other decorative elements & American inspiration.

We can make a card with only lettering and ribbon, but we can also add other decorative elements. I’m not going to impose exact way of doing it. Just try to get inspired by examples of the most loved American Christmas Cards!

1. FAMILY

Make your card more personal, and draw your family on it! Also look on beautiful frames that are present on those pictures. Most common for the most American households is to make a photo and print it out as a Christmas card. But if you don’t want to do this, you can do simple drawings.

2. REMEMBER ABOUT OTHER RELIGIONS

Also, we have to remember that not all people celebrate Christmas or they do it in different way than we do.

3. ADD SOME AMERICAN ELEMENTS





4. INTERRACIAL CARDS
 
 
 

American Art: abstract expressionism or... just some doodles

Why should I bother you with the extremely boring piece of reading about the even more boring history of the 20th century's art? If you think that the abstract painting of Jackson Pollock is just a compilation of several spots and paint splashes, you should at least know that the abstract expressionism is the first purely American movement that achieved an international popularity and is now regarded as an important brick in the whole wall of the American art.

Jackson Pollock: Portait and a Dream, 1953

Jackson Pollock, Number 34, 1949

If I'm still not convincing enough, and you're staring at these pictures wondering What the heck did the author mean by it?, maybe the earlier painting of Pollock will gain more of your sympathy.

Jackson Pollock, Going West, 1934-1935

Yes, that looks a little bit more realistic, but let me start once again.

In the 40's of the 20th c. in New York City, there was created an artistic movement highly inspired by innovative European painters as Max Ernst (pictures below). In the painting we can clearly see that Ernst was a surrealist and what is worth mentioning - a dadaist, representative of the movement praising the freedom of expression and breaking with the tradition.

The name of the created movement was first used in 1949. It is of course abstract expressionism.

It is claimed to be born in the city of New York and derived from German expressionism, with the greatest emphasis put on the artistic self-expression or even subconscious and spontaneous act as dripping paint onto canvas spread out on the floor. So the movement conjoined an emotional depth with anti-figurative aesthetics of European schools of surrealism.

Action painting

James Brooks, 1957, Tate Gallery

Action painting or in other words the art of action and gestures was the one of two directions that the School of New York took. It is based on the randomness and spontaneous action, the act of creation plays here the main role. It refers to the artist's subconsciousness, and a reflex action as the only authentic way of creating.

The most known representatives are Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline or Willem de Koonig.

Color field painting 

Mark Rothko, Untitled, 1964

On the other hand, in the Color field painting, the most crucial is - as you can imagine - the color. The attention of the artist is focused on carrying the message and emotions through the color and its shades. The act of creation, though, is strictly controlled. 

Why I find this topic interesting and corresponding to the subject of our blog? Because, it is the first originally American artistic movement. It has proved that the U.S. are still creative and vigorous after the Second World War. It also cought the attention of the world, showing America's ability to the artistic development, independent from Europe. 

Task:

If you still don't like abstract expressionism, find the movement you actually like with its history and representatives. If you like it, keep searching and get inspired.