"...it's what you see."

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." - Henry David Thoreau, (although I've read some arguments that he didn't write exactly those words). 

What do I see? When I'm out and about in the landscape I see art. I see colour and texture, shapes and lines, expansive views and tiny details, connections and compositions. The art in nature invites me, invites us, to slow down.  To be still. 
​To re-establish connection.

​I was reminded how much what I see matters when, for a while, I couldn't see much of any of it. Long story short: persistent doctors were able to 'crack the code' to treat my recurrent and mysterious eye condition and vision is restored! There aren't enough synonyms in the thesaurus for 'grateful'! So now, when I work (and play) with acrylic paints, watercolours, oil pastels, and my cameras, every photograph, sketch and painting is a celebration. 

As an artist and photographer with an educator background, of course, it's all about the learning. Learning to see. It never stops. (I'll natter on about that in future posts.) Yesterday, I listened to artist, illustrator and author, Dub Leffler give a Book Week talk, explaining to fascinated primary students that each piece of art he creates is a learning experience, from tiny quick sketches in a journal to final paintings  for book illustration, and each one is practice for the next one. (Go check him out, by the way. Read your kids some of the books he's worked on!) ​

I used to start some art lessons for little people with "put on your artist eyes" and we'd all mime putting on glasses. One day, at the end of the session, one of them said:
"I don't want to take my artist eyes off.'

​Neither do I!

Have a terrific week. Check out the art in nature in our Shop but don't forget to get outside and find some for yourself.