Did your mother ever teach you that it's not polite to point?
Well, sometimes pointing is a good thing, especially in decorating and art. Notice how the birds’ faces point toward each other keeping your eye focused on the table arrangement.
Your focal point can be enhanced by having your home decor objects point toward the center. Mantels and credenzas are great places for using this trick of leading the eye inward.
This simple trick not only works in home decor, but photographs and art compositions as well. In the photo below notice how the boys' heads tip inward toward the center of the picture. This 'pointing' keeps you eye focused on the snapshot.
In the painting below, I paid particular attention to the placement of the birds, placing them pointing inward, towards the focal point of the painting. This technique keeps your eye staying on the artwork longer, enjoying the fun!
Enhancing Your Focal Point can be a funny story:
Below, I painted this watercolor placing the three geese pointing their beaks inward, toward the center of the painting. After hanging the art in the gallery, a funny thing happened.
A gentleman tapped me on the shoulder, and asked, “Are those geese flying in or out?”
I gave him a puzzled look.
He didn't wait for a replay, offering, "If the geese are flying in, they’re butts are down. If the geese are flying out, they’re heads are up.”
Instantly I knew I had an avid birder on my hands. I squinted at my wee-size, no bigger than 3/8”, water fowl on paper.
My efforts to have them flying toward the center of the paper for the importance to the composition was obviously no concern for this naturalist, though.
I inched closer to the art. Their heads were out-stretched, not up, but not down. I took a gamble and said, “They’re flying out.”
I must have given him the right answer as he bought the painting!
Although my avid birder may not agree,