Making Meaning

"A bit of advice, don't copy nature too closely. Art is an abstraction; as you dream amid nature, extrapolate art from it, and concentrate on what you will create as a result." -Paul Gauguin

Have you ever seen an animal shape in the clouds or a face in tree bark? It's fascinating how our minds can create pictures of things we are familiar with from the unfamiliar shapes around us.

This phenomenon is called pareidolia. It's where we take the random and make meaning out of it, and where do we derive that meaningful image?

From our own experiences!

When we give our imagination the freedom to roam, it unleashes the feelings, aspirations, and truth within each of us. Knowing this, we can also apply it to our art to invoke a reaction from potential viewers. This is exactly why some artists don't use hyperrealistic art because the human brain is capable of reading between the lines, filling in the gaps, and creating meaning from even the most abstract of images.

Don't believe me? Head on out into nature. Go for a walk, sit by a tree, or lay in the grass. Get good and comfy, and let your mind astonish you with its handiwork.

Hand-painted in Adobe Photoshop CC using a Wacom Intuos Pro and the Wacom Art Pen.