Art, Illustration or Both?

I recently had the pleasure of standing in front of this painting. I love Impressionism and Woman with a Parasol has always been my favorite painting from Monet.

Isn't it something? It's everything about it.. the mood, movement, subject characters, light.. I could go on and on.

I was standing very close to it for a while until a guard looked at me with unfriendly eyes, LOL.. I wasn't going to touch it of course, just wanted to see up close the thickness of the paint and the tiny strokes and tried to imagine what Monet saw while working close to it and then standing  far. I'm no fine art painter, but I imagine the only way to paint an impressionistic painting is to get close to it and step away far from it.

Anyway, I finally sat down to contemplate it and came to me how close fine art is to children's illustration at times. I know there are many debates as to what is what but  I think the main difference is illustration in general has a commercial tint to it,  there is usually a purpose for its use. But if we take that a side there is really no much difference.

Of course style and subject matter has a lot to do with this but take Matt Phelan for example. He is one of my favorite author/illustrators and he is a master of making you feel with his art.. His strokes say tons and his illustrations are ethereal.

© copyright Matt Phelan

© copyright Matt Phelan

I'm not trying to say illustration and "art" are the same but to realize that sometimes they are standing very close to each other. I just love that. :o)

What do you think?