It is a myth to think that mastering techniques is the most important resource an artist can acquire. No matter how adroit one is at pushing a brush, if our deep sense of seeing is lacking, we are limited in the quality of work we create. It is, above all we learn, our greatest artistic
resource.
Deep seeing allows our eyes to guide without interference. Rather than allowing our thoughts to
inform our eyes, we allow our eyes to inform our thoughts. Rather than reaching into our mind's database for some rule, we allow our eyes to answer our questions. Rather than assuming, we examine.
Look at this photo. Did your thoughts instantly tell you what it is? If so, that's where we begin to hone our
deep seeing.
Our western tendency is to label first, but once we label a thing, we block our deep seeing. What I just directed you
to do was to see internal movement in the first image, color-value gradation in the second image, and textures in the third. These are among the things that give the image its essence. If we learn to train our brains to see the essence first--rather than the generic label--we begin to hone our deep seeing.
We learn best one thing at a time. As you move throughout your day today, make yourself aware of how your thoughts label things. When a thought gives an image a generic label, substitute
that label for a movement and a counter movement you see within the image. Spend your day looking for these movements as substitutes for your labels.
Tomorrow, look for value gradations. The next day, look for color changes within gradations. And
on and on. Developing this habit of deep seeing can transform how you see the world.
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