Enchanting Details, Often Overlooked…

Details in Art, Writing, and Life

Do you ever notice details in something you’ve seen many times, but one day you notice something… different? The details seem fresh, new…. enchanting, really. And you wonder: How did I miss them until now?

As a writer, I’m pretty tuned in to details. I find I notice things many do not. Fellow writers know what I’m talking about. I’ve learned in my recent journey into art that details are integral, too. Now, those details may appear differently from each artist… some are loud and in your face, while others are quiet and subtle, but all are necessary.

An important part of my art-making & journaling process is taking lots of photos along the way, documenting each step and misstep. Noticing the details. That’s why when I don’t notice something right away, I’m kind of, well…. surprised.

This morning’s experience fascinated me. I was looking through pictures long before sunrise of a mixed-media face I made recently. I shared in a post how I created her with 18 ingredients (including basic copy paper).

As I looked through the pictures, I noticed this up-close, detailed picture of the bridge of her nose. I stopped. The watercolor around her nose, eye, and brow caught me by surprise. “How beautiful!” I thought. I was reminded of the how-to question we had during last week’s Faces workshop: How do you make a face have depth?

And there it was in the details.

In the workshop last week, as we worked on our mixed-media faces, we talked about how curves help define a nose. But this picture had not been created yet… with its rounding and deepening of color near her nose and brow. The smudges. The paint lines defining otherwise flat and lifeless space on paper. The beauty is in the details. The enchanting details.

And there’s more to love in these details. Notice the pencil lines, the sheen of the matte medium providing unplanned (but loved!) texture, the rough spots where watercolors, alcohol markers, and graphite pencil each reacted differently on the surface created by the matte medium…. it’s all so beautiful to me. And today, more apparent. Enchanting.

What would you notice if you looked closely? Are there details that would encourage you to move in a new direction, see the beautiful human you truly are, make those changes that nudge you closer to your dreams and wishes…?? Look closely, my friend. The details are there – waiting for you to see them. Take a deep breath. Your most enchanted life is calling….

I think that’s what’s happening in my corner of the world…. Let’s do this together.

Wishing you creative curiosity and soul-smiling messiness,