Happy, happy Canada Day Canada. YOU are the BEST… but I only tell you this one day a year as it might go to your head.
stillness
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To be perfectly clear, this blog is about construct of perspective and it just happens to be Canada Day.
Perspective is to painting as grammar is to writing. It is useful to have some idea about the rules before you start breaking them. Both methods of organizing information have been equally tedious for me to learn except in an abstract fleeting fashion. In each case I have a tendency “to work at what I am creating until it seems right.” I usually only refer to the math of perspective or the grammar of writing when I have got myself mired and I absolutely refuse to give up. I then begrudgingly concede that I best go find out what the rules are so I can solve my problem.
Driven by combination of frustration and curiosity, I will pull out the appropriate books from my bookshelf and read what I need to read. Usually this results in a satisfying personal discovery that is far more exhilarating than warranted.
But sometimes new learning slips into my life more easily. The other day Elisa posted an excellent video comment to “Seeing and Creating” about an artist, Esref Armagan, who has no eyes and who can paint perspective using his fingertips. Esref has never “seen” a horizon line. How does he do it? I was so impressed with the link that I decided to bring it forward for a post focusing on perspective. Thank you Elisa.
And if you want to learn more about the history, science and mathematics of perspective….
“It wasn’t until the early 15th Century that a Florentine architect and engineer named Filippo Brunelleschi developed a mathematical theory of perspective through a series of optical experiments.” http://www.msichicago.org/scrapbook/scrapbook_exhibits/reverspective/history.html
Mathematics and art – perspective
http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Art.html
The history and theory of perspective http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/projects/perspective/theory.htm
Sprout Question: Are you remembered for your creativity in the way you want to be remembered?
Bonus: Around the middle of May this year Kathy Drue from Lake Superior Spirit blog decided to declare her dare on my blog post “Choose Your Dare” and started a visual arts project. This morning I found the following comment on that post…
Terrill, well yesterday I realized that I needed to have those seven pages done…but couldn’t really get inspired to make a journal that would just be seen by me. So instead I made some more cards. Twelve of them. Then decided to start a “revolution”: http://upwoods.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/taking-back-the-world-one-card-at-a-time/
Thanks again for the inspiration!
I invite you to go have a look at her beautiful cards with their shiny images beaming back at us from the picnic table. Thank you Kathy for celebrating your success with us.
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From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Creative Potager 
Hi.
(gotcha)
bye.
Hi David – “gotcha” back and welcome to Creative Potager.
Dear readers, allow me to introduce my husband David who has gone from being an avid lurker to commenter on Creative Potager today.
Hi David! Nice to meet you! (The first time my husband commented–on one of my trips–I almost fell off the chair by the computer!)
Terrill, thanks for posting my response to your dare here. Since I didn’t really do exactly the same as I’d promised (with journal pages) I wasn’t sure if it would “count” in the same way. But it looks like you’re counting it! 🙂
P.S. It is always so fun making the cards…don’t know why it sometimes takes such a monumental push to get them done.
Yes Kathy it counts… making a commitment and adjusting as we go is still a commitment and when we reach our goal… well, lets celebrate!
(and I hope David continues to join in Creative Potager conversations but we shall have to see.)
“It is useful to have some idea about the rules before you start breaking them.” I love that statement, Terrill – it’s so YOU!
I had seen the video clip when Elisa first pointed to it in her blog, and I just watched it again — amazing — in the truest sense of the word.
Sprout Question: Are you remembered for your creativity in the way you want to be remembered?
How funny you should ask that question, as I’m this very minute writing about epitaphs [Twilight Zone music playing eerily in the background] …
The answer to your question is YES. Based on the feedback I receive from the articles I write and my blog — Speaking from the Heart — I would say that I’m making a contribution that is positive, uplifting, constructive, and healing.
You did a “bonus,” so I shall do an “aside.” I recently asked one of my clients to tell me what text they would like inscribed on their headstone. Without the slightest hesitation she said, “Debauchery.” And all of the letters will be crooked. I like how the word sounds and the meaning—‘excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; seduction from morality, allegiance, or duty.’ I still want to shock people after I die.”
I’m still cracking up! (By the way, she’s dead serious, pardon the pun).
Laurie what a great sprout story. I would agree that their is huge alignment between what you are doing and what people remember your creativity and contributions.
As a fellow Canadian artist im proud to say Happy Canada day!
Hello Scott and welcome to Creative Potager. I rescued your comment from the spam filter so that is why it took awhile to get posted. I hope you had a good Canada Day yesterday.
I am lucky in that I seem to have a natural perspective, I also wonder whether it is a male Female thing in how we see things in different ways?
As always your posts are a pleasure to visit
It could be a gender thing, though I have good spacial relationship skills and learned perspective and scale at age seven so it is generally not a problem “to do until I get it right.” It is more a challenge to break it down into bits of math for an unusual perspective challenge, like getting the ocean to go around a cliff face with few reference points for the eye. Thank you Chris for coming by and it is a pleasure to have you visit:)
I know how I would like to be remembered. However, whether or not they do is up to them. Very few people know of my intent. Very few people see who I truly am. Who I am and what I hope to accomplish will continue to evolve until I die — I hope. So, the answer to your sprout question is…I have no idea.
As for the video — Wow! Now there’s inspiration.
Leanne sometimes “I have no idea” is the best answer… and I agree that video is a good source to jump start inspiration. So glad you made it by today.