Shapes will elevate your art and culinary skills. An intriguing comparison - Part 3 of 4

Updated: Oct 2, 2020

Would you love to “see” like an artist, and serve like a chef?

What's the secret to this? It’s in the shape.

Shape is the third element in this 4-part, appetizer-presentation of Charcuterie, and how it relates to art. (Texture, and color discussed previously.)

Shape offers variety.

Notice the shapes in the Charcuterie tray below. From the cylinder and circular shaped pickles, to the oval olives and squares of sliced cheese, contrasted by irregular cheddar cheese chunks, their various shapes add interest.

Using a mix of shapes disrupts your eye and tells your brain, “Stop! I need to appreciate this.”

It’s like getting the hiccups. The interruption in your breath puts you on high alert.

Below, compare the two fences. On the left, the perfectly straight posts are stagnant and repetitive. On the right, the crooked fence post grabs your eye and holds your attention longer! Shape and variety are the tricks of artistry.

In art, shape engages you longer, allowing your eye to linger. To savor.

Below, in my print, 'Shoreward,' notice the shapes.

-The rectangular sky.

-The triangle sail of the boat

-The vertical pillars of the fence.

The triangle sail leads your eye inward towards the dunes and fencing. Then your eye lingers longer on each irregular fence post, finally landing on the cluster of askew fencing!

Dune and water sailboat landscape Giclee print by Kate Moynihan — "Shoreward" Giclee print, 14" by Kate $75

Do you ‘see’ like an artist?

In the photo below, most people see an overcast sky and lake.

But what does an artist see?

Gunmetal oval clouds with edges that burst with dark agitation, shadowy bands of waves whipping a semi-circle of white froth.

How to see like an artist.

When you're in your office, with your eyes, trace the room. Stop at the wall clock. Don’t view it as a symbol to tell time. Look at it as a circle, with the hands forming triangles.