The sense of aesthetic appreciation

While I prefer to use my own photos as a source of inspiration, there is something intangible about the images I have collected in my favorites that I find visually intoxicating. When I look at these photos,  I feel a mixed sense of longing, hope, and desire. Desire sets action aflame, and for me that means that I want to experience the image as a painter.  As a painter, my sense of longing is excited by the enjoyment of the image - the intimate process of creating a painting layer by layer.  

Artistically, this is the gentle touch of the Muse. Scientifically, these collective works are like an illicit drug shooting Dopamine directly into the orbito-frontal cortex of my brain, resulting in feelings of intense pleasure.

So, this note is half request and half a declaration of admiration to all of the amazing artists who produced the images in my favorites. Please continue to produce your gorgeous images. I need another fix of that warm, physiological pleasure.