take five

On my morning walk I became fixated with taking pictures of dome topped buildings against the dawn sky. While my I Phone is good, it cannot record things at a distance with the clarity or exact frame I’m after; my results were less than stellar so I decided to abandon this project and get back to steppin’. Passing by the Hirshhorn Museum, my gaze at eye level rather than in the clouds, a glow of light in one of the many alcoves that make up the base of this structure made me slow my gait, take a look at orange blush ensconced in sand colored wall. I picked up my stride, turned around to go back -- aim, click, point right, click, over, click, angle up, click, higher, click, done. The five pictures exposed abstracts painted without oils or acrylics that needed no canvas. When I manipulated them in Photoshop, the textures transformed into deep tactile surfaces. Darkening them brought forth hidden shadows, sharper silhouettes. Simply flipping an unchanged image changed it completely. Five that took about one minute to capture captured my undivided attention for over an hour of exploration painting with keystrokes, a neat means of creating without making a mess.

I gravitate to abstract paintings. What appears before me is simple, disjointed, chaotic, carelessness that is meticulous, ordered, connected, complex. If I stand close, every bumpy blemish (even the tiny ones made with watercolor) is a stroke to be reckoned with. Back up several yards, the protrusions flatten as the entire vision comes into focus. What is the artist saying as I comprehend the exact meaning most of the time. Even if I don’t get it, emotions still surface for me. Many adults I encounter stray away from abstracts opting for works that have easily identifiable objects, many children I know do not. Grown ups have a tendency to prefer things neater, kids don’t mind if stuff is messy. Big people over think what’s in front of them analyzing so much that they no longer see. Little folks just accept without judgment allowing a world of possibility to come alive before them. In less than 60 seconds, they captivate me with the most outlandish adventures as they dive into the artist’s view creating one that suits their youthful fancy. And actually, the pictures they paint make a whole lot of sense.

Listening to the mind of a child reminds me to take five, let my head air out then take another look at everything my senses encounter. What they envision should encourage you to…

keep your peepers open! ®