It is just an Impression.

I spent an amazing and inspiring afternoon at the National Gallery yesterday. I visited the Impressionist Exhibition. The paintings included in this are mainly landscapes many from Monet and Vincent van Gogh. 

Over and above enjoying the art I always find it very interesting to listen to other people speaking about what they are in fact seeing. The number of people who make comments that miss the whole point of the art and forget that it is impressionism. The artists were making no effort at reality they were trying to capture the feeling and the mood of the art.  I was in awe of some of what I saw for the very reason that I could feel what the artist felt even if I was unable to see it exactly as he had done. 

I would never claim that my art was anything like the art I saw yesterday but then my name is not Vincent. 

I left having been swamped with a wonderful sense of emotion and a desire to strive onwards throwing paint and pastel at canvas and board. 

I also left with a smile in my heart once again aware that we all see life differently and it makes for a wonderful tapestry. 

It reminded me of the story.

A married couple moved to the new apartment. 

On the first  morning at the  wife, just after waking up, looked through the window and saw a neighbouring woman, who was hanging out her washing to dry.

"Look at her dirty washing,"  she said to her husband.

He continued to read the newspaper and didn’t pay any attention to her words.

"Perhaps her soap is bad or she does not know how to wash, we ought to teach her!"

Every time the neighbouring woman was hanging out her washing, the wife was surprised how dirty it was.

One morning she looked through the window and screamed:

" Oh! Today the washing is pure. Probably she has  learned to wash it at last!"

 The husband quietly turned towards her, " No, it’s not,"  her husband answered.  Today I just woke up a little bit earlier and washed our  windows.

It really is all about perspective. We see life  from where we are and we see art coloured by our view of life. 

It does make for an amusing and wonderful life. So we must not judge or criticise, just enjoy that we all see life differently.