What is Art Like In Aviandria?–How Aviandrians Portray the Beauty Around Them

January is well underway now. It’s hard to believe it is halfway over. Time is going so fast, however, winter is dragging on here. Not that I’m complaining. We are in the middle of a major drought where I live, so the more it snows or rains the better. However, it can get a little bit drab when the skies are gray, the ground is white, and the entire world seems a little monochromatic. A bit of light and color becomes a welcome thing. Which isn’t so different than winter conditions in Aviandria. There, much like here, when this happens, they turn to art.

So what is art like in Aviandria? Art is a very broad topic, (I mean, you can get a degree just studying the history of art) so there is really much more than I can write in a single post. This will just barely brush the surface, but hopefully it gives a general idea of what you can expect. For the sake of this article, we’ll just talk about visual art stuff, not things like music, or drama, and all of those other forms of art.

Much of it is very similar to what art is like in this world. They have various mediums and styles. It varies between socioeconomic tiers and even a bit between regions. All in all, though, there wouldn’t be anything we would find very strange.

While they do have paint in Aviandria, painting on canvas like we often do isn’t common in Aviandria. Thin pieces of wood are more common, or heavy paper is also another frequently used option. Often it depends on what is available. Paper is often more expensive, so the more wealthy are usually those that will use that. Oftentimes, the people who are poorer use what they already have, so it is more common to see paintings on furniture, or directly on the wall. Sometimes small paintings will appear on tablecloths or curtains.

Another common art form, at least for the very rich is tapestries. At least we know there are tapestries hanging in the palace in Accipitridaelynn. Many of them are older, but it isn’t a dead art form yet. Along with tapestries, illuminated manuscripts are also something that is clinging on, though not nearly as common as it once was.

Sculpture is present. Free standing stone statues are not so common as much as details and pictures caved into walls, pillars, and gate or doorways. If there are stone statues, they are usually made for very special occasions, and oftentimes serve a purpose other than simply to look at. Aviandrians do have art for art’s sake, but often times it considered even more valuable if the art can be used to beautify objects that can be used in every day life. Small woodcarvings are a fairly popular form of 3D art, as woodcarving is a fairly popular hobby. Many people will have a small collection, some of a higher quality than others. Sometimes these are painted, sometimes they aren’t.

As far as what things their art portrays, similar to many cultures here, nature and the things found within are very common inspirations for much of their art. While not unheard of, especially for someone just learning, still-life type pictures are not very common. One thing that is slightly unusual is that portraits of people are also not very common. There will be people in pictures, whether they be tapestries, paintings, or other works of art, but they are usually part of a larger scene. Also, Aviandrians tend to prefer their art to be fairly realistic. Abstract art would not be particularly popular there. (Sorry Picasso.)

I know this post is very broad and scattered, and probably leaves plenty of gaps, but I don’t want to make it too long, and I’m not an art history expert of Aviandria, or any other world, including this one. All I know for sure is that art does have an important place in Aviandria when it comes to finding the beauty in the world around them.

What kind of art would you look for in Aviandria? What would you be most excited to see? Do you have a favorite kind of art?