The Way I See

Seeing is believing. This old expression seems true at first, but after some thought it occurred to me that seeing is also reliant on what I believe. Modern cognitive science demonstrates repeatedly that we see what we expect to see, what we wish to see, and what we fear to see. Seeing is connected to believing, but believing lets us see in our own particular ways.

While painting, there is a way of seeing that I drop into. In the eternal moment I have focus and flow, understanding emerges holistically. It feels like entering the image and seeing the next brushstroke before making it. I am aware in these moments of the fact that I am looking for the pattern of the light reflected of the surface of things. I often think about how the act of painting the surface appearance of things leads me to think deeply past their appearances.

Painting is emotional. My synesthesia sings with the colours and textures and the beauty of the experience itself stirs up my emotion. When I am portraying a person I think through their stories and what led them to the moment that I am painting here and now. Looking with a loving heart, I can see how care and hope light the way through generations.