"Slow, Silent, and Invisible"

($40.00.....6" x 6"....mounted on a 1/8" depth clayboard panel)


"Growth is slow, silent, and invisible, and then the flower appears." Growth is all about process and most of us would like to skip the process and go to the reward. With flowers beginning to bloom, it is a great reminder that growth is slow, silent, and invisible. That's the process and no one gets to jump over that and experience the reward without the time, effort, and energy.

Echoes are those design elements that are repeated in some other part of the piece. They are very important in creating artwork because the eye has this insatiable desire to make connections. For instance, if there is violet in the piece, the eye automatically looks for other areas with violet. By echoing the color again (in this piece I echoed it again in the flower in a darker value). I also echoed the subtle curving line by writing the quote in a similar line created by the blue green line underneath the flower. However, if there is an abundance of detail and other things going on, a straight line of lettering is probably the best choice. Simply following the line of a shape can look contrived rather than convincing.

Other echoes can be created by having lines, shapes, and colors disappear and reappear. For instance, I created some erratic lines on the paper before the pouring medium and they are creating a subtle dynamic with their appearance and disappearance.

Another important reminder is to take your shapes from edge to edge which allows for more dynamic shapes than having something stuck in the middle of the design space. The flower, for instance, was placed so that the brown and blue green curving lines are connected to the flower and integrate well on those moving lines. The flower printed on transparent tissue is also better integrated because the blue green and brown colors can be seen right through the image. These are just a few of my design thoughts for the day and something else to ponder or think about.


Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.