Last weekend, I went to the de Young Museum with my mother to see the Birth of Impressionism Exhibit. This was my third time to see these works of art. My first experience spans back to when I was seventeen and had traveled to France to stay with cousins.

At that time, my own passion for art was just emerging and I had not been introduced to any art history. It was a cold winter day when I entered through the doors of Musee d'Orsay and fell instantly and passionately in love with impressionism. I remember standing in awe in front of a Degas pastel of dancers. It glowed and was magical.

Five years ago, I traveled back and found it fascinating that after so many years of being an artist, how I viewed art differently. I no longer reacted just with an emotion but found myself searching the works for understanding of how the artists created that emotion. I now looked at composition, colors, hues and balance.

Last year I began Grad School and wondered how all this new information I was learning was going to change my perspective once again.

That first room with Bouguereau's "Birth of Venus" was breathtaking. That room alone brought back that same sense of wonder and awe that I first felt at seventeen. I found that I was more fascinated by the pre-impressionism work where draftsmanship and subtle paint application was impeccable.