Intricate

I do love intricate design. Especially intricate design that seems deceptively simple. My own design aesthetic includes a strong affinity for elaborate creations. Simplicity appeals to me to some degree. Interestingly, simplicity can often be more challenging to achieve than complexity. But I tend to be drawn to things that are reminiscent of history (such as items from the Art Nouveau period), have a vintage flavor, or that seem to resonate with the ornate colors and structures found in nature. I derive a great satisfaction in creating complicated designs that look as if someone from 100 years ago might have worn it. Of course, anything I might devise is a poor imitation of the true intricacies found in the natural world. But it is enjoyable to let those natural complexities spur my imagination.

"The whole is simpler than the sum of its parts."- Willard Gibbs

"The most complex things are the simplest."- Agni Celeste

(Earrings featured in this post are available in my Artfire shop.)

Minutiae

Details matter. They do. Seeing the 'big picture' is impossible without the details to fill it out. Details reveal the richness, depth and wonderful flaws of what we have in front of us. To illustrate, if we don't take the time to study the details and complexities of the people we love, how will we ever truly know them? We learn amazing things by taking a closer look at nature. Think of the texture of a cat's tongue, the underside of a butterfly's wing, the structure of a grain of sand. To me, it is the details that make a work of art truly noteworthy. I may be struck by the work as a whole, but it is in the details that I find real joy for they reveal to me so much about the artist behind the art.