Analogy IV: Patterns in Nature

11 NOVEMBER, 2018

mixed media monoprint with mixed media of leaves with map fragments

Analogy IV, monotype with mixed media on Rives BFK, 15 x 11.25 inches

Patterns in Nature

Analogy IV is another piece in what I call the Analogy series, a body of work that focuses on the similarities between various patterns in nature. Because monotypes (also called monoprints) are their starting points, I consider them a sub-series of Suchness. The main components are printed plant and leaf imagery, vintage map fragments, and mixed media. This usually includes colored pencil or crayons, artist pens, or acrylic ink.

blue, teal and purple monoprint of leaves against night sky with moon

Day into Night (Analogy Series), monotype with mixed media, 14.75 x 13 inches

ingredients: Rives BFK heavyweight printmaking paper, lithography inks, Caran d'Ache crayons, vintage map, watercolor pencils

Analogies

In this series, I'm juxtaposing different patterns in nature in order to draw attention to an underlying truth: nature uses the same basic patterns over and over again. These patterns are called fractals, and they are in the structures of mountains and rivers, the branching of trees and blood vessels, and even DNA. The spiral pattern found in sea shells is repeated in the cloud formation of a hurricane, and in the shape of many galaxies.

"What do mountains, broccoli and the stock market have in common? The answer to that question may best be explained by fractals, the branch of geometry that explains irregular shapes and processes, ranging from the zigs and zags of coastline to Wall Street market risk." Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2011-10-beautiful-math-fractals.html#jCp

The video below illustrates this idea well.

Below are other pieces in the Analogies series. Just click on the tile under the image to learn more about the work. Analogy I and Passage Between II are still available; just contact me through this website or DM on social media if interested. And don't forget to look for fractals “maybe in your hand, the night sky, or on your cat.”