I feel it’s been a while since I wrote about art — something I used to do quite often — so, here’s the latest.

I’ve always been passionate about art, and I enjoy sharing that passion with others. So, a couple of weeks ago on a weekend trip to Boston with my mom and sister-in-law, I was happy to share that passion with them when we visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

The museum was the latest addition to the — hopefully — growing list of art museums I’ve been to, which includes the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Arts, to name a few favorites.

It’s interesting to share those experiences with others, especially those who may not have the same appreciation for art as I do. Such was the case in Boston as my sister-in-law had never visited art museums before.

My sister-in-law grew up in a small town in southern Indiana. She didn’t grow up taking field trips like I did to places like the DIA, a 30-minute drive from my hometown.

Going into the museum, she asked what to expect. I told her that art museums feature anything from paintings and sculptures to ceramics and textiles and more. Not knowing much about the Boston museum at the time, my answer for her was quite vague. Still, she put on a good face and eager attitude for the experience.

Right off the bat, in one of the first collections we walked through, she was asking me questions, trying to appreciate it the same way I do or at least learn what was going through my head.

She asked questions about my perspective and the approach I take when viewing art, such as, “What are you looking for when walking through the gallery?” and “What do you see when you look at certain pieces?”

Her questions were respectful and honestly excited me — it’s always nice when someone takes an interest in the things you love.

I first told her that art is subjective — based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions — and that everyone views it differently.

As an artist myself, I told her one of my favorite things about seeing works of art is paying attention to the mediums the artists used. Since I was an art major in college, I have experience working with various materials, so I know how challenging some are to perfect compared to others. I also appreciate the details in a piece, like admiring the way the fabric of a dress lays, knowing how difficult it can be to get the creases and folds just right.

When I was explaining this to her, we happened to walk by a piece that was created with ink on paper. Pointing to the image, I explained the way the artist used cross-hatching to make such an intricate piece. Cross-hatching is when lines are placed at one angle to another, typically perpendicularly, and the closer the lines are to one another or the more they overlap gives the illusion of shade or tone.

I told my sister-in-law how I loved the technique because though it is simple, it can create such beautiful works.

As we continued, I mentioned that art produces feeling more than anything — that sometimes it isn’t about what the subject is or the materials used, but about how it makes you feel.

Perhaps it’s the expressions on the subjects’ faces that make you feel what they feel or the use of color to depict emotions or maybe it’s what the art is trying to say itself that draws out those feelings. It could be anything really.

As I was explaining this, I walked over to a photograph that made me feel sad. The photo was of two chairs — which sounds silly, but stay with me. One of the chairs was folded up and leaning against a wall, while the other chair sat upright. The upright chair had a feminine feel to it, with its intricate and floral details, while the other felt more masculine, made of wood palettes and simple hardware.

I asked my sister-in-law what she felt when she saw it, and she said, “I just see two chairs.”

Then she asked me what I saw, and I said, “Death.”

She looked at me clearly puzzled. I went on to tell her that, to me, it looked like the chair of a widow stood beside a chair — once her husband’s — now packed away and not being used. It looked lonely, like her chair was the only one used in a while. The photo made me feel sad for the woman not pictured.

Was that what the artist was going for? I have no idea.

But that’s the whole point. Viewing art isn’t always about figuring out what the artist is saying or trying to do, but about what you see and what you appreciate — or maybe don’t — about it.

So, for three hours, I dragged them around the museum. For a while, I think they appreciated it as they asked more questions and took an interest in various pieces, some that I even skipped over because viewing art is all about the viewer. It’s how they see the piece and what they get from it.

Eventually, they clearly became bored as I continued to wander, unaware of the time that had passed.

While I love art museums, I know they’re not for everyone and that some people prefer other art compared to what you might see in an institute.

So we headed back to the streets of Boston, just to view more art in the beautiful, historical architecture that appealed more to my company than anything they saw at the museum.

And that’s OK because viewing art can mean so many things. It’s one of the many things I love about the topic.

Torianna Marasco can be reached at 989-358-5686 or tmarasco@TheAlpenaNews.com.