Original artwork description:

NEW SERIES "Pareidolia of...."

I often see patterns shapes, animals or faces in the tones and textures of the intricate landscape of the North York Moors where I live.

Seeing recognisable objects or patterns in otherwise random or unrelated objects or patterns is called Pareidolia. It’s a form of Apophenia, which is a more general term for the human tendency to seek patterns in random information.

Most people experiences it from time to time. I see it all the time. Psychologists say that some of us are more prone to facial Pareidolia than others. We have all looked up at the sky and seen a little face in the clouds smiling back, seeing the famous “Man in the moon” is a classic example from astronomy.

The human brain is uniquely wired to recognise faces, so when I see only a slight suggestion of facial features, my brain automatically interprets it as a face.'

But the good news for those who are prone to seeing little people in inanimate objects is a sign of madness, it is in fact a sign of a well-wired brain.

I have decided to capture these hidden images and patterns in my oil paintings.

This painting is unframed, on a canvas board; it has with a low sheen varnish for protection and comes wrapped in cellophane.

Materials used:

oil

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