Yesterday I saw this painting of the pennypack creek by my uncle Stan, yet another of my mentor artist relatives. He must have painted this decades ago but I do remember the art lessons he gave me when I was 12. He taught me the most important and basic rule of being an artist: look deeply. Meaning see more. Meaning observe details. Meaning see more colors not some basic color.
I have been going on that lesson my whole life. There s always more to see. Always more colors if you look. Always more there than first meets the eye. But you need to slow down to see them. And in slowing down we get one of the greatest benefits of being an artist: to be at the pace of nature, not modern life.