Seeing What is Really There

I had my eyes examined this morning and as I was reading the eye chart over and over it got me thinking. When creating art and looking at art it is important to see what is really there and not what we think (or know) is there. We may know the 4 items on the eye chart are 'E I O Y' but it is important to let the doctor know if you can really see those four letters. When creating art, you may think the tree trunk is brown, but if you really look at it you will see it is mostly gray or beige or a taupe color. So to paint items realistically, make sure you are really looking at an object and seeing the color that is really there and not use the color you think is there. Keep your mind open and look at the world through the eyes of an artist.