It's all a Matter of Perspective: Whale Tail, Snail, or the Catch Light in a Monk’s Eye?

It’s funny the things that remind you everything’s a matter of perspective. How you see anything depends on your life experience, your frame of mind, the shape of the day… all rolled into one.

What I find fascinating is how two people can look at the exact same thing and see completely different things. (This is probably why eyewitnesses are terrible evidence.)

Pink on the Ocean Floor progress painting. The color needed to in the seaweed was obvious after this.

If you’ve ever wondered why I share so many “in-progress” photos, it’s because I use them to catch things I’d miss while staring at the canvas itself. A quick photo gives me fresh eyes. That’s how the tiniest details sneak into my work, the ones some people spot right away and most never notice. (I shared about this in an earlier post on spotting the smallest details.)

Sometimes it’s the smallest details. The OMG! Just… No monk is a perfect example. I “thought” I was finished. I even took the “final” picture. But when I looked at the photo, the catch light in the eye was wrong. Once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it.

Back to the art room he went. I fixed the eye, and, voilà he was truly finished. It took a picture and a fresh perspective to know what needed to happen.

Just...No Monk with a catch light in the eye not quite right.

Just...No Monk with a catch light in the eye changed.

Matt and I had the same kind of moment recently while walking around the neighborhood. We came across a shrub. I said it looked like one thing; Matt said it looked like another. I turned my head, saw it from his angle, and suddenly his version made total sense. He did the same for mine.

So, is it a whale tail flung in the air, a snail with a wild haircut, or something else?

Oddly shaped shrub found on a walk.

Looks like a whale with its tail in the air.

Now, it's a snail with wild hair.

Thanks for reading The 3rd Flamingo — a blog for art lovers, creative wanderers, and anyone who’s ever made a beautiful mess.

What’s something you saw differently once you looked at it from another angle? Share it in the comments. I’d love to hear your perspective.