The beauty of the intentional, and the unintentional, willy-nilly subject. I never pause for more than a minute to decide my composition in a landscape or to decide what my best still life will be. Often, my favorite pieces to work on are the unconventional view, perspective, or subject.



The unconventional or mundane can be a number of things, such as taking the viewer’s gaze too close to the subject, like a moment in time. Or it may be the obscure beauty not normally seen, but looked for. Then we capture it. If I’m looking at flowers, I may look for the buds that haven’t quite opened, or the one that is past it’s prime, wilting and dying. I look for the wind damaged, torn leaves, the tree with the broken branches from a storm, or instead of a bouquet of flowers, I’ll drop them on the table haphazardly and depict them as they fell. These are the subjects that move me in the art of others, as well as the art I make myself, even if just a sketchbook spread. It makes me want to look into it, see what’s there, look at the negative space, the color strokes, and the way the composition wants me to look closer.


You may be aware of the Japanese term Wabi-Sabi. Wabi-Sabi refers to finding the beauty in the imperfect, and the impermanence and transient nature of everything. It’s finding beauty in the mundane and imperfections. The word ‘Wabi’ translates to less is more, and the word ‘sabi’ means attentive melancholy.




I think the strive for perfection in our lives causes too much stress and is at it’s core unattainable. In Art? Each Artist and each Patron or Viewer must decide for themselves what they believe is perfection in art. I think at the highest levels it is never the perfect subject matter. Sometimes, just the way something is portrayed, the composition of it, or just the way it’s rendered, leaves the viewer in a state of uncomfortableness. It makes the difference between a piece being ‘sweet’ versus thought-provoking. It makes you want to lean in for more information. This also equates to the art of music, literature, movies, etc.









I think looking at many aspects of life through the aesthetic philosophy of Wabi-Sabi would help take some of the anxiety away, allowing for clearer vision of what’s around us. It can be freeing and beautiful for one to accept the beauty of imperfection. Contemplation, acceptance, and a calmer vision is what we as individuals, as well as we as a whole, could use more of.
Find the beauty in the imperfect, beauty in the mundane, the impermanence, and the transience of everything.
Other Substack posts you may enjoy:
Art History, but more inclusive.
Re-organizing the Art Studio and procrastinating, as I sometimes do.
Spring. The Earth Renews, As Does My Artistic Path.
If you have any questions, comments, or tips, drop them in the comments and we can start a conversation.
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Take care and until next time, Elizabeth