It Hit Home Working on this Drawing Today

Monarch and Milkweed; in progress
 

 

Today I am laying out Monarch and Milkweed, the fourth drawing in my Life is in the Balance series funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. These drawing are inspired by a lifetime of immersing myself in the natural world and my experiences as a recent transplant to Brooklyn, NYC.

The series is influenced by Islamic geometric art - a beautiful marriage of science and art. I have been creating art referencing this geometry for over 40 years. I appreciated it on a purely visual level but as I am learning more about the philosophy, I realize it is the patterns that are important. Syed Jan Abas and Amer Shaker Salman in Symmetries of Islamic Patterns indicate that the geometry mirrors the harmony of nature and defines that which is infinite and perfectly beautiful. So  it is actually a marriage of science, art and spirituality.

It is the significance of seeing those patterns in life that really hit me emotionally. I don't always appreciate being 76 years old, but today I was cherishing the vision those years have given me to see patterns. So many winters into spring and seeds to flowers, caterpillars to butterflies, children into adults, etc. You can relax, Mother Nature's got this. 

See the beauty and respect the intelligence.

Learn more about my work at www.KristinHarrisDesign.com

 

 

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