Eva Antonel
The art of pulling a gift out of thin air
There ' s no denying that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder . It also can be said that a trained or aware eye can see art more readily than one that isn ' t . Detailed descriptions of pieces on display at most art galleries , as well as tours led by gallery staff , teach us to see deeper into the subject matter and appreciate the subtleties of composition that often would not have been possible otherwise . The good news is , the ability to see beyond the obvious is a learned skill . The even better news is , we don ' t need an art gallery to practice this technique .
Example in point . On a recent winter getaway to Mexico , anyone that originated north of the 49th parallel marvelled at the continuously blue sky , the crystal clear azure water of the ocean , the lush green of the palm trees and the colourful array of vegetation so absent from our own surroundings for the last several months . It was hard to argue that the landscape wasn ' t akin to a master work of art . Everywhere the eye landed , one was inspired to notice the abundance of colour , light and the way they brought out the best in even the most mundane objects . To think that in few short days , all this would be a distant memory . It was then and there that I decided that I was going to look for the more subtle yet always present art- like qualities in my own backyard .
As predicted , our return to Essex County welcomed me with a bleak landscape . Shades of grey , tan and muddy green , peppered with bits of fading white , enveloped me like an unwelcome hug . In an attempt to ward off the gathering gloom , I threw on my bulkiest sweater and my comfiest pair of wool socks
minutes after stepping in the door . True to my resolution to really look for the subtle beauty in all that surrounds me , I noticed that I really loved the feel of the wool next to my skin . The colours of the yarn blended together in a comforting arrangement reminiscent of toast and plum jam . The glow given off by the side table lamp , created a pool of warmth and convinced me to pick up the knitting needles abandoned two weeks ago . Their smooth wood grain accentuated the texture of the baby blanket in progress slowly falling in
cascades onto my lap . Outside the window , the wind rearranged the clumps of snow still clinging to the brick window sills .
Mission accomplished . For now . Like any other new skill , it needs to be practiced in order to become entrenched but no one ever said that periodic injections of blatantly obvious beauty were off limits . While restocking the kitchen cupboards , I added a bouquet of still unopened yellow tulips to my grocery cart . I arranged them in my favourite vase and placed them in the midst of the last bits of Christmas paraphernalia , still waiting to be put away . The image would never have made it at Style At Home , but my spirit soared the second I stepped back to take another look . Hmm ... I think I ' m on to something !
Here are a few things you can do to see beauty regardless of your surroundings :
Look at the view out your window as at a framed print . Take photographs of the most mundane scene and see what you ' ve been missing . Notice the texture as well as the colour of everything you come across . Look for changes in scenes in varying light conditions . Look at your familiar surroundings as for the first time . Seek out opportunities to view and practice creativity . Remember , spring flowers in the dead of winter are never a bad idea .
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February 2017 - The HUB 9