What do you determine as beautiful?

What are the combination of qualities you look for in a wildlife image to determine if it's beautiful enough to grace your walls? For me personally I enjoy an image that is simple and uncluttered, that draws your eye to the subject and captures the essence of the moment, the emotion.

Even if you don't think you have the most captivating of subjects to capture, there is always an opportunity as an artist to find different ways to illuminate the beauty of nature.

While beauty is certainly in the 'eye of the beholder', I believe an artist has the opportunity to challenge our perceptions and draw our attention to appreciate even the most 'everyday' of subjects

“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Confucius

Compassion binds us

“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.” Nelson Mandela

The first step in cultivating compassion is to develop empathy for others. Compassion and respect for nature are equally important. Natures' complex web of life cleans the air we breathe, feeds out souls and provides sustenance for us to survive as a species.

How much consideration do you give for nature in the simple everyday? Compassion is an open gift, it is generosity without demand. Give unselfishly to nature and once again we can find hope for the future.

Hope

During lockdown, connecting with nature became even more important for our mental health. I have a small patio from my lounge window, where I would quietly observe my garden birds while working from home. Lockdown and isolation gifted me the time to connect more and to enjoy their daily routines and antics. They gave me and many others, hope...... Hope that even on the most difficult days, there will be a time to sing.

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.”

Emily Dickinson