Eye Wonder

They tell me “I have a good eye”
I think that means
That the art I create,
The world I capture
Has meaning that resonates with others.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder
And art is purely subjective.
“I know what I like when I see it.”

Then having a ‘good eye’ means
May be I see something others want to see
But can’t see on their own?

Artists are a different breed.
We connect to an energy, a force,
beyond the everyday facade of reality.
It is our job, or our calling, really,
to express it and share it.

Am I being presumptuous
To believe this? Maybe.
Life experience tells me this is true.
Whether it is or not, is for you to decide.

Can looking into the eyes of an artist change you?
Or is putting it on the page, or in a form,
Written, drawn, sculpted, or coded
The process that is required to
Connect with the viewer?

I think it is both.
Without the vision of the artist
And the skill of the artist
There would be no understanding
Of what is beyond the veil.

By Cheryl McDonald, 2022©

If you would like to listen to me read this poem, please click below.

Eye Wonder is a mixed media painting in which I set out to explore the eyes of artists who were people I knew and admired for the vision that they expressed in their chosen fields of creativity. To see the full size image

Because they are all separate and very different creators, some painters, sculptors, and photographers of various genres and styles, I wanted to create separation between them to illustrate their unique space in time and place.

This is not a collage piece, although I drew it to create that effect. Each scrap of paper you see is a trompe l’oeil, or visual illusion, placed on a background of abstract watercolor.

Now the question is can just looking into the eyes of artists change you? Probably not by looking at this image, however my goal was to call attention to and explore the idea that artists are visionaries and what they create changes our understanding of the world around us.

If an artist has added to or changed your life in some way, I am sure they would love to hear that. Let them know that you value them and their vision. Look them up and see what they are creating now. Once we artists start creating it is really hard to stop, we tend to just keep doing it. I appreciate all of you who read these posts and value my art. Thank you for being here.

Have a Happy Day!

Cheryl