"Distinct Characteristics"

($40.00.....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"The origin of everything is revealed by distinct characteristics." The image today has details and color that indicate that the origin of this raised imagery on a pot could be Italy. In the same way, the nationality of a person can be known by their coloring and speech as well as qualities about their character. It's like saying..."you can know a person by the fruit of their lives".  Noticing details is a very important part of life whether its people or things.

Texture is the name of the game in this piece. The close up image and the extreme detail give the feeling of looking at this insignia through a magnifying glass. It's more of a "power punch" than showing the whole pot that contains this detail. Texture and detail also cause the image to advance visually. But even though the insignia takes ups most of the design space...there is still a little less than half of the space that would be considered negative space. The little bit of pencil detail in the negative space was chosen to keep it in close value to the background to eliminate visual confusion and overload. From across the room, those background details and even the lettering cannot be seen.

These kind of value considerations are like the tonal range on an instrument. They are subtle in the hands of an artist who is "tuned in" to them, but lack of attention to value can cause the piece to be "clunky" or give the viewer a sense that something's not quite right.

Keeping the main thing the main thing and paying close attention to detail will keep any artist from getting "mired" in the swamp of bad design. Just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.