“When you paint things exactly as they are, you don’t show people anything they couldn’t see for themselves — you’re telling them what they already know.”
Paul Strisk, The Art of Landscape Painting, page 34
It’s a game to play with a friend, to be somewhere, anywhere, and ask not “what do you see” but “tell me three things you see”. In a group, write it down, then share. Play it with yourself by closing your eyes, counting to ten and then seeing what pops up in your visual memory.
Some people look at things close by, others in the distance; how good your eyesight is and whether you wear glasses being factors too, of course. Some focus on details, some on colour. Sometimes a favourite thing will hold our attention, such as when I see foxgloves or daisies growing on a verge.
And saw heather…