For several years my art has been inspired by looking at tons of cellular/microscopic imagery primarily online. Although I’m not trained in biology, I’ve tried to pick through the information about the functions and processes connected to the images.
I find that usually sparks the seed of a new work or series. It can be a certain shape, line or pattern in the microscopic images that I fall in love with. Or it can be that my imaginings about that particular process evoke a metaphorical story.
I then make sketches pulling from what’s grown into a fairly large storehouse of bioligical shapes and patterns in my head. A successful sketch, one that leads to a piece of work, usually has an imagined story/metaphor attached to it. That’s what often can serve as a guide as I make each of the myriad decisions about composition, color, line…during the evolution of a piece.
Here’s a link to an amazing collection of plant microcopic images that have been photographed and colored by Jim Haseloff.
