Iconic Shapes
May 31, 2020
Inspirational Art
If there was a shape that could represent state of the world today, what would you say that is? Chances are, you’re thinking of something that works as an icon or symbol rather than something as simple as a circle or octagon. Abstract shapes are something I touched upon only briefly in the article about shape and form at the beginning of the month. They are most commonly created for things that we are already familiar with, many of which are considered universal. Some have been with us for ages such as stars, teardrops, and hearts, but simplified shapes will pop up whenever a quick method of communication that is not language dependent is needed or preferred.
For instance, right now, a square with half circles on the ends, often with a few horizontal lines in the square, represents a medical mask. Such an icon may have meant nothing to you at the start of this year but it’s hard not to recognize it for what it is now.
That is the power of abstract shapes. With minimal characteristics, these shapes represent an object if not an entire concept. For this reason, I suggest you to not use them too frivolously. If you pop a heart shape on something, it should be because your intention necessitates calling on the viewer’s emotions rather than just putting it on to be cute. Now, I’m not saying that using hearts to be cute is a bad thing but realize that people will see it as an emotional expression. And I say emotional, not love, because the heart represents a base positive emotion associated with love, caring, and happiness but if your heart shape has a hole in it, is cracked or torn, or is jet black, the viewer will start thinking of things like loneliness, sadness, or even animosity.
Not all abstract shapes have such a wide range of potential meaning but many can elicit a similar or even stronger reaction, such as the shape of a cross or particular types of star shapes, depending on the context in which it’s used.
If you want to use abstract shapes but do not want to be so obvious or bring up the more common associations, you might find it useful to combine abstract shapes or to use them in unexpected ways. This approach to the use of abstract shapes can make for a much more subtle or complex statement which means your viewer will probably react more viscerally even with a readily recognized shape since its associations won’t be so blunt.
Here are just a few examples of abstract shapes where the association with them has been toned down.
Here, Elsie Smith overlays the impression of leaf forms on heart shapes showing just how perfectly they fit together. Pairing these makes the heart a gentle emotional background to the focus on, and apparent love of, nature’s intricate leaf formations.
This next one is a really good synergy of recognizable abstract shapes. Speaking in terms of the silhouette of the piece below as well as the focal point of the opening image, we could see a sunburst, a starburst, or a flower shape. Since Zuda Gay Pease was primarily creating flowers at the time she created this, we can assume her intention was for it to be a flower, but the energy of all those many pointed tips makes it come across as celestial. So, we get a combined association – the femininity and beauty of the floral shape with the energy and excitement of bursting light. It’s quite an impressive mix.
It’s interesting that practically all types of celestial bodies have a recognizable abstract shape (or variations of them.) There is probably nothing quite so common in abstract celestial shapes as a crescent moon. Our association with it can be fairly wide ranging from simply symbolizing the quiet and dark of night to embodying the ebb and flow of life.
In this example, I found it very curious that the lines on these crescents appear to be sun symbols with all their brilliant energy, and the bright blue ends of the crescent, visually truncating the shape, make us less likely to think crescent moon than simply an angular and curvy shape. The moon and its mysteries therefore become a quiet background to the louder energy of the colors and lines. I really like this contrast of concepts here as the sun and the blue color brings in a liveliness while the unconscious reaction to the moon shape is a quiet but divergent undertow. (Unfortunately, the Etsy shop from which this was saved is no longer available, so I am not sure who created it. If anyone knows, I would be ever so grateful if you would send me their name so I can update it.)
Is this making sense? I don’t think it’s hard to grasp the general idea of how iconic an abstract shape can be so I’m going to keep this short today. It’s also been a busy week getting all your accounts fixed up and so I should get off this computer. I challenge you to look around at the way abstract shapes are used in art work, be it your own or other people’s pieces.
Go Forth and Be Free… to be Inspired, For Free!
If you haven’t heard yet, starting in June (this next weekend) I will be posting the upcoming Virtual Art Box content previously planned for the VAB membership project on this blog so everyone can read it for free. I wanted readers, regardless of budget right now, to have access to these discussions, lessons, and exercises so we can all work on our art and increasing our skills and enjoyment together as well as give me the opportunity to take my work load down a notch or take breaks when necessary without being unfair to paid subscribers.
So, you can look forward to some in-depth article length discussions and ideas with a bit more juice to it than the blog usually has along with ideas on how to work with and apply the concepts if you so desire. Take it like a free class or just let the ideas sink in and enjoy the art. It’ll be here for you, starting next weekend.
Supporting Free Content
I am glad to have your support, in anyway you can provide it, to help me produce this content for free. Your supportive emails are always appreciated but if you want to help me keep the lights on, making purchases on the website is one of the best ways to do so since it gets you (or a lucky giftee) something to enjoy as well giving the contributing artists further exposure all while helping to keep me in busines.
If you have everything you want from the website at the moment, I have provided a donation option here for those who have asked and can afford to toss me a little something to help me, in particular, pay my tech guy and allow me much needed doses of dark chocolate!
So … until next weekend!
The Silver Scene
December 19, 2018
Inspirational Art
I love how silver can be representative of snow in winter even though it’s gray and not white. It’s that clean simplicity, I think, that echoes the simplicity of a landscape under newly fallen snow. That’s why think this piece by Wiwat Kamolpornjiwit makes me think of wintertime.
Wiwat’s mastery is often in his simplicity although a lot of his work isn’t simple. For instance, he does not usually treat the surface of the clay but rather goes for smooth shiny layers, accented with simplified or symbolic motifs of natural objects like flowers, leaves, trees, etc. In this piece, those motifs are nothing but pokes in the clay but we get an entire scene out of it. The rolled wire accents are like flowers popping out of a pot, and add a touch of energy outside the frame of those repeated shapes, breaking the line the top of the half-circles make. It’s not complex, but it’s not all that simple either. It’s just those little touches that give it a sense of sophistication and make it a satisfying design.
If you have not seen Wiwat’s work, or haven’t looked at it lately, you can find it on his website.
On the Flipside
November 2, 2018
Inspirational Art
We are going to hop back to the new book, Polymer Art Projects—Organic (which you can still get 10% off on for the next couple of days, promo code PAP10), for one last day this week to give you another taste and some additional information on one of the beautiful projects in there.
One of our contributors, Fabi Ajates, has this wonderful collection of objects at the end of her tutorial, showing you some of the different decor items you can make with the many little techniques she teaches. In a conversation we had after the tutorial was in layout, I found out that some of the objects are actually reversible and Fabi, with the help of her son David, graciously sent us these additional images and some information about the pieces for you to enjoy. Here is what they sent:
CORAL KELP
All the textures and shapes I create are one-of-a-kind and handmade, conceived in the pursuit of the pieces’ harmony and the most dramatic result. Furthermore, the project [in the book] is meant to be versatile because it can be used not only to create jewelry such as the necklace, but also décor elements which can add a touch of individuality. When used for interior design pieces, these can have a double purpose which makes this technique even more resourceful, attractive, and interesting.
What looked like a turquoise coral vase from which a leaf of kelp languidly emerges, has become a bowl or small plate. We observe the same effect with the piece that imitates an anemone; its face changes relative to whether it sits upright or it is reversed, while it contrasts or harmonizes with the landscape and with the rest of the pieces.
Inspired by coral and marine vegetation, [these forms are] mysterious nature that awaits silently like a treasure in the depths of seas and oceans whose colors and shades, a combination of seawater and sunlight, are uniquely beautiful.
Thanks for the extra images and your thoughts, Fabi!
Find out more about this amazing artist who has not let her deaf condition or language barriers get in the way of sharing her skills. Check out her class schedule here and follow her artistic adventures on her blog.
And don’t forget to get in on the 10% off offer to get your own copy of the book or other items we presently have in print, here on The Polymer Arts website. Use promo code PAP10 before midnight on Sunday Pacific time to get the discount off everything in your cart!
Natural Patterns
October 19, 2018
Inspirational Art
Today’s attention grabbing item is brought to you by Mother Nature. Yes, you read that right. This is not polymer. It is not resin. It is not some new crazy Zentangle-like method of doodling on rocks or something. This is a 176 carat Koroit Boulder Opal from Australia.
I know a lot of you already look to the natural world for inspiration but the more you look, the more amazing natural creations you’ll find. It’s still baffling what a huge array of shapes, textures and colors are put together without conscious thought but with pattern and purpose nonetheless. These opal patterns are formed in voids and cracks, like natural molds that are filled with a deposit of silicon dioxide which settles and forms spheres under specific conditions. These spheres are reflective and, if I am understanding the research I just did correctly, are the cause of the variation in reflected color. And I thought some of our processes were painstaking!
Now to figure out how to recreate this in polymer. Some fairly old methods like a Damascus ladder or other Lizard’s Tail technique might get close with a layer or two of black clay tucked in. Are you up for experimenting on that? If I had the time, I would but I don’t yet. So I leave it up to you, my fearless friends. If you create anything cool, inspired by this bit of nature, post it here. Let’s see what you all can make this weekend!
Through a Glass Prettily
July 16, 2018
Inspirational Art
Apparently, I’m a bit of a wreck. I’m only telling you this because you are probably going to see a bit of a slowdown in our publications coming out and maybe a little less research here on the blog. As many of you know, I’m the only full-time person who works on The Polymer Arts projects and I’m dealing with two injuries that occurred earlier this year and arthritis in my neck, none of which are happy with how much I work. So, doctor’s orders, I have to cut my computer time down the next few months while I focus on healing. It’s going to be hard to slow down, workaholic that I am, but I’m counting on you all to hold me to it!
So to minimize my research time, I’m going to be pulling things to share from my stash on my Pinterest boards and favorites on Instagram and Flickr and such for a while. We will, therefore, be seeing a fair amount of older work, but there’s so much really inspirational and timeless work to share.
This week’s first piece is from Adrianne Jeswiet whose work I discovered not too long ago. Her shop on Etsy is called “Kissing Glass” and it is filled with various glass vessels covered in detailed imagery. This piece includes tiny dragonflies, water lilies, irises and cattails applied to a recycled glass vase colored with glass paint. Take a close look to see the myriad of tiny details that are sure to make this a conversation piece wherever it finds its new home.
Pop over to Adrianne’s Etsy shop to see the full range of what she does.
Ephemeral Flowers
May 11, 2018
Inspirational Art
Today we’re going to look at some actual flowers. Well, petals at least. This design is by Janine Bjornson, a Canadian life coach who, apparently, is drawn to color and pattern much like many of us polymer artists. She decided to make ephemeral art the subject of her 100 Day Project on Instagram and this is just one of her many beautiful, natural, and temporary designs.
If you’re not familiar with ephemeral art, it is art created with the intention of it being transitory. Its temporary nature is usually due to either the materials being something that quickly breaks down or the construction being set up in a place where nature or man will quickly and inevitably bring it down. The art is created for the momentary enjoyment, contemplation, or appreciation of it, and, often, also for the experience the artist has in the process of creating it.
In my 100 Day Project, which has completely changed parameters (I do manage to create a texture every day but the writing and posting have been more challenging!), I knew I would be traveling and considered ephemeral art as an option for those days when working with clay was not going to be possible. Some days we are not in a place where we get to be creative with our chosen material but that doesn’t mean we can’t stop and create something beautiful with what we have on hand.
Janine uses natural materials including flower petals, branches, leaves, berries, feathers, and even water droplets. Pretty much anything she can find outdoors, it looks like. So her work allows her to connect with nature and bring us these beautiful images as well. But this begs the question, that if it is photographed, is it still ephemeral art since we’ve made it lasting in recording it? That is a purely philosophical question, and irrelevant to our enjoyment of these beautiful colors designs.
Although this is an obvious mandala, she doesn’t commonly create symmetrically but changes it up pretty dramatically every day. You can take a look at her beautiful temporal creations on her Instagram account.
The Shape of Owls
February 16, 2018
Inspirational Art
I’ll wrap up this week with some adorable creatures that will just pull at your heartstrings.
Alexis is the creative soul behind Meadow and Fawn, crafting in an unspecified clay and painting the most endearing little details in her jewelry, sculpture and shadow boxes. I found the painting on these owls intriguing because it’s not just feathers and texture, there are little scenes on them or other animals. Does the artist feel that the owls embody the wisdom of all types of nature and that is why she is inclined to paint natural scenes on them? Or are their cute little bodies simply a convenient canvas?
For those of you who have followed me for a while, you know I am very big on intention and the relationship between the elements in a piece. Logically, I am not finding an obvious relationship between the owl shapes and the fox, deer and butterflies on them, but somehow it still works and how readily they sell is a testament to how strongly they must speak to people as they are so quickly snatched up. That’s what is intriguing to me. Is it that they are natural images on a natural shape alongside her soft and gentle style of sculpting and painting?
Logic does not always provide the answers, especially when it comes to the heart and art. I think we can just simply look and enjoy and snatch up our own if so driven. You can follow Alexis on Instagram or find out more about her and peruse her shop on her website.
The Many Faces of Leaves
January 19, 2018
Inspirational Art
Pattern in nature is everywhere and not just on the surface but in the groupings as well. I know for certain that Wendy Moore, the creator of this lovely riot of red leaves, is heavily influenced by the patterns and energy in nature. You can hear it in the things she writes on her blog and her focus on repetition of natural shapes in her work which you can find on her Instagram account.
This piece was actually a commission but from one of the people most certainly to be a heavy influence on her as well–her mother. I’m thinking now that perhaps this connection to nature is also one her mother has and maybe she influenced Wendy’s appreciation of the natural world. Or maybe it’s Wendy’s life in Australia and her time in the outback or her years in Nepal and her continued visits there to support the Samunnat women‘s project.
I only ponder this because how much we interact with nature and how connected to it we are has been on my mind lately. I am so immensely lucky to have a wide swath of nature right outside my office and studio here. I have tried to make a point of spending time out there every day. Recent trending reports on “forest bathing” and how short immersive excursions among trees can really help reduce stress has led me to consider how important such moments of connection and relaxation are to creativity. The more I get outside, the more inspired I feel.
So, weather permitting, try to get outside this weekend. If weather is not being cooperative, perhaps there is a greenhouse or enclosed botanical garden not too far away. Or spend some time tending yohouseplantsnts. Notice the textures and patterns in nature, breathe in the smell of the growing things and just connect to the most constant thing we have interacted with in our history as a species–mother nature. I think you’ll find it invigorating, relaxing and inspiring!
Variation on Time
December 1, 2017
Inspirational Art
I spent a lot of time looking for differently constructed clocks in polymer and couldn’t find much that really illustrated the point I was hoping to make. What I wanted was to show that a clock does not have to be on a flat surface. It can be made of many parts, attached or not, and fully dimensional. As long as you have something that can house or hide the clock mechanism while holding out the hands, the rest is wide open. You can have the hour markers designated by any form and attach them with sticks or wire or be free floating–whatever suits the piece and your inclination.
These two examples are commercial designs rather than polymer art but I think they give you the basics of this idea of moving beyond the flat clock face. Not only do these kinds of clocks make for really interesting wall pieces, they give you the freedom to use pieces you may already have such as large hollow beads, faux stones, unhung pendants, small figurines, flowers, etc.
As a gift, giving a clock that has separate pieces might be best attached to something that can be hung as one piece, like a backing of Plexiglas or painted plywood. Or include instructions for a template to mark on the wall where each piece goes. There is little to no construction to deal with but you will have to make concessions in the design for how the individual pieces will be hung. Alternately, go for a design where the elements are attached like the flowers you see here.
The sky is the limit with these kinds of designs. For more ideas, try searching “DIY clocks,” which was the keyword set that brought me to these two pieces. I hope these sparks some ideas and I look forward to seeing inventive clock designs this month!
Today’s post will be a little different, and short, mostly due to the uncertainty of my internet connection and the constant interruption and bit of bedlam we’re dealing with here. I live in Colorado, in a suburb east of Denver that got just bombarded by the monsoon rains yesterday. My home is on a high point in the neighborhood, so we are fine here, but getting in or out of my neighborhood is a serious and time-consuming challenge due to flooded streets closed off all around us. Of course the news makes it all seems quite dramatic, and people from all over are calling and texting. Us Coloradans, although not at all used to being flooded, are a hardy bunch, and deal with Mother Nature with patience. She tends to bring us mostly sunshine and mild weather, so we put up with a few eccentricities here and there.
But water is on our mind (and in our houses, and cars, and businesses…) so today, we’re just going to bow to mother nature’s beauty with a particularly pretty take on water and texture.
This would not be hard to duplicate in polymer. There’s a nice design break in the texture, too.
The site I was sent to with this image has a whole series of pretty amazing photos; most of them are water- and weather-focused, but primarily ones that are a bit mind-bending. Jump over to http://xaxor.com/photography/7168-beautiful-photos.html to see what I mean.
Read More
Every time I visit Cornelia Brockstedt’s website, I just get lost. Her work holds a kind of mysterious curiosity for me. Where did these images come from? Just how does she view the world that she comes up with these unexpected compositions? She has a series called “Street Life” which I find particularly fascinating. There is a mix of organic and man-made in most of it–very much reminiscent of a city street with its asphalt, concrete, and pipes, but among these intentional and planned structures, nature is moving back in to reclaim what once was its territory.
This brooch is easily the most curious of the series. The texture of the emerging vegetation is in all the pieces of this series; but this one, due to the rather aquatic formations, seems more alive and even a little alien. It’s eerie and beautifully fascinating, don’t you think?
And because I can’t resist, here is the other end of the spectrum on her Street Life series. This pendant’s imagery is a bit more easily recognizable–grass growing in between paving stones–which may sound like a rather mundane subject matter; but as you can see, it’s not in the least bit mundane in this presentation.
The other thing about Cornelia’s work is that it shows that she really knows how to take inspiration from other artists and make it her own. She has quite a few pieces listed with credit given to other artists that she learned from; but even though the technique of these other artists is (more or less) apparent, the work is usually quite different from the work of her teachers.
In The Polymer Arts, I decided from the start to focus on technique rather than project tutorials or how-to type articles. These are supposed to give readers new skills and techniques that they can then take to the studio and morph or blend into their own original pieces. Sometimes it is hard to separate the technique from the design when what you learn is taught as a specific project. Well, if you want some excellent examples of how that is done, take a good long look through Cornelia’s website. Some transformations of techniques are more detached from the master artist’s usual designs than others, but they all look to be developed in a way that still reflects something of Cornelia’s aesthetic. And that is precisely what should be done with skills learned in any workshop or from any book.
Read MoreFirst thing I had to do today was check and see if art work by this particular artist by the name of Sage Bray was ever featured on this blog. My goodness … no, she hasn’t been. How could she have been overlooked for so long?
Answer: Easily! And on purpose.
Not that I don’t like affirmation that there are some people out there that enjoy my art work but I’ve never been a limelight kinda girl and, besides, I’m overly critical of my own work, always feeling it could have been done better which makes it hard to share sometimes. Still, every once in a blue moon, even the most self-critical artist can be excited about something they’ve done. In this next issue (that starts mailing out next week, the mailing list for the first batch of print issues is going to the shipper’s Thursday morning so get your order in!) I have on article on a series of techniques I only recently developed and am having so much fun with them!
I’d been playing with techniques to emulate weathered and worn textures on and off this year and recently had some surprising results that have opened the door to even more great textures. I have to say I was pretty amazed by the effects. This stuff look very realistic! How cool. Here is article’s header image with a little piece of wall art I created with the techniques. What do you think?
This article is ridiculously packed with 6 basic techniques/skills that can be used to show wear and weathering and 3 faux applications that combine these (rusted metal, charred wood and weathered wood–all in the piece you see here). And the thing is, what this article shows is just the tip of the iceberg for any adventurous artist who wants to push these techniques (I know I will be in the coming months!)
I’ll see about updating you on my faux organic weathered texture experiments later in the year. In the meantime, be sure to get your Fall issue so you can go play with these too. And then please share them with me if you do! You can post work on our Facebook page or write me at sbray(a)thepolymerarts.com with your artwork, thoughts, comments, criticisms or whatever you feel you need to share … I always love to hear from our readers!
Why do we, with all our yearning for the latest technology, for the clean and controlled, for the precise and permanent, find ourselves drawn to nature? I think John Burroughs has it right. For all the time we spend trying to control our world, I think we find true order and peace only in the random, cycling, uncontrollable but dependable elements in nature. Nature is where we are all from, and where we will return; and unlike anything we humans think up, is the one thing that always makes sense.
Read MoreI’m a very busy beaver today, wrapping up some final items for the upcoming release of the Fall issue of The Polymer Arts. I really wish I was goofing off in the studio though. But since I can’t quite do that yet, maybe you can do so for me?
One of my favorite articles in the next issue includes making molds and texture sheets from natural finds. (The article, Plein Air, is all about taking your art outdoors and bringing the outdoors into your studio … such fun!) Lynn Lunger‘s “ugly molds,” as she deprecatingly calls them, are a slightly different approach to some of what Kate Clawson will show you in the upcoming issue. So while you anxiously await the Fall issue to arrive, you can play with bringing a little nature into your studio right now.
Lynn’s tutorial blog post has tips on pulling texture from natural elements as well as down and dirty mold making for a fun day in the studio. So go enjoy a (hopefully) sunny day out in the yard or on a hike gathering from nature itself; then get back and play in the studio for me!
Our connection to nature is so strong that a set of colors alone can represent the natural and a sense of being outdoors.
Elsie Smith does a nice job of keeping her colors simple, while still evoking a strong association with nature. The colors we identify with trees, earth, wood, and sunshine come through in the soft, brushstroke-like lines of this subtly designed pendant.
The combination of colors is what brings this sense of nature to us. But if the stripes were graphic and well-defined, or if the pendant was a square rather than a soft leaf shape, or if we had a glitzy, faceted gem instead of a water-drop-like cabochon, we’d probably lose that association almost completely. It’s a rare element in art (or in nature) that is not in some way dependent on other characteristics to carry the intention through. So although the right color palette may be key to portraying a sense of organic and natural, don’t forget that every choice you make in your artistic creations has the potential to change the message. Every choice is part of the whole.
Meredith Dittmar has an affinity for organic forms and natural motifs; but instead of representing nature in any direct or realistic manner, she often tells stories in which nature, including leaves, vines, animals, the sun, stars, and mountains, are contrasted against men’s buildings and machinery in detailed, illustrative wall pieces. She also has a very playful side which can be seen in the imaginary creatures she calls her “Guys“.
This piece here falls somewhere between her more serious psychepolymereganic art (her term) and the “guys”. It’s a rather idyllic scene, with stylized creatures and plants that come close to a direct natural interpretation, but are more representative of a wish for something that doesn’t quite exist.
Check out the many sides of Meredith on her website. Her main portfolio has a nice overview of her work including her personal art, some of her “guys,” and client work. But if you have a minute or two more, go have fun looking through the many variations of her “guys”.
Since the upcoming issue of The Polymer Arts is all about organics, I have spent the last few months immersed in the idea of defining “organic”. This is a truly interesting subject to study in relation to polymer, a material that seems to be anything but. In an age where we have come to focus on green and sustainable materials, we work in a material that doesn’t easily break down. This guilt factor has been an on-going discussion in our community; it took up what seemed like half a day’s discussion at the RAM symposium in 2011. We as artists in this medium are not unconcerned about the environment and how we as humans affect the natural order of things; quite the contrary. If it weren’t for the minimal waste (how often, if ever, do you throw away scrap clay?), minimal energy usage (small ovens rather than kilns, torches, or major power tools) and durability of the medium (this is not disposable or temporary art!) we might be facing a conflict with today’s view on plastics. But it’s not only that; as a whole, polymer artists seem heavily drawn to recreating and bringing attention to nature and the organic state of our world. I think we do darn good for artists working in ‘plastic’.
This week, I want to look at just a few examples of polymer bringing people’s attention back to the natural. For instance, jewelry like this necklace allows adornment that would be too fragile and temporary if picked directly from nature.
Olena Mysnyk from Ukraine created these realistic leaves, as nature and leaves in particular are a favorite subject of hers. There is definitely something to be said about being able to throw a bit of Mother Nature around your neck and have it still fresh and lovely at the end of the day.
For most of us, there are patterns, colors, and textures enough throughout nature to keep us inspired for several lifetimes. But, within the forms we see in the natural world is a whole other realm of possible inspiration hidden within it.
Take flowers, for instance. They are beautiful and obviously quite inspirational as we find them presented out in nature. But there is more hidden within a flower. This image by microphotographer Ray Nelson is actually the base, or ovary, of a flower. Yes, its been enhanced using stain and special lighting, but the pattern and texture is all Mother Nature.
Mother Nature’s work can be stunning even when unenhanced. Here is the cross section of a bell flower ovary with beautiful soft colors and kaleidoscope patterning.
Isn’t it just fantastic that we can step outside our door and find hidden beauty in so many things? When you’re feeling uninspired, a walk outside is highly recommended for clearing the mind and recharging your batteries. And while you’re out there, you can look at cross sections of various plants, rocks or other natural work for new colors, patterns, and textures to help you fire up your creativity.
