Is Your Perspective Off?

When painting, it is important to capture the perspective correctly. In art this is important to depict a 2-dimensional flat image in 3-dimensions to give it the real appearance in the proper proportions. This is not as challenging when painting animals as it is to paint structures like this bridge. The details need to be believable. A structural engineer would be quick to see that the supports and spans are incorrect to keep the bridge from collapsing. If you know where this bridge is located, looking after a moment, you too will see it is incorrect. Perhaps if you are not so familiar, you would notice the lines are not straight. I have struggled to get this right for weeks. I am pleased with the way the sky turned out, but the structure is off, and the lines are not straight nor are they the appropriate width. Wonder if I could get away with an abstract bridge, which is just a suggestion of a bridge. Looking at a bridge you have an expectation of a correct perspective.

Trying to determine if I should just adjust some of, most of, or all of it. This adventure started with gridding out a reference photograph, then drawing it on the canvas. I had a rough sketch, then as I began painting the background, I painted over it thinking it would not be hard to retrace, later. Well, I thought wrong. I lost the perspective.

What to do? Go back to the source of truth and re-grid the bridge from the reference photo.

How can your perspective get off in life? It is far easier than one thinks. Anytime we take our eyes off the truth and attempt life based on our own interpretation of the truth, or desires things go wrong. What is the truth of a biblical perspective? It is the ability to see things clearly and objectively. The only truth that matters is that of the Bible from God’s perspective.

We humans are incapable of seeing this clearly and objectively on our own. Our vision is tainted by our emotions, thoughts, and opinions from our circumstances or fleshly desires. This takes careful study of the Bible coupled with the illumination of the word by the Holy Spirit. When we submit to the Lord and seek his face, our perspective transforms from our will and way to his perfect will and way. If you find you lost your perspective, go to the word, and look to the Lord. He through the work of the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth.

John 16:13

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak in his own authority, but whatever he hears (from God) he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

John 14:6

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Galatians 5:16

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Isaiah 55:8

For my thought are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.