Silvery spirals
Where spirals ripple outward, overlap, and interact...
My brush dips slightly into a small saucer of water, then moves over to the acrylic silver paint on the plate’s edge, stirring and mixing the two. The paint loosens its viscosity when taking in the water, ready to glide smoothly across a surface.
I twirl off the excess paint from the brush, lift it up, and hover over a copper-bronze leaf. The tip of the brush descends into a dot, then pivots and spins out from the center. One after another, small shimmery spirals are made, eventually covering the front of the leaf.
Then another leaf, and another. Hours pass. Then, another day passed, and I did the same for more hours in my studio. And another day. The silvery-spiraling leaves pile up.
I settled on silvery spirals on copper-bronze leaves after several times in my studio experimenting with other leaves, metallic colors, and patterns. None seemed quite right, but they led me to discover what did feel right.
I had wanted to be in my studio to work on more involved pieces, to see what I might create with more time and more time in between to let ideas form. Without having any preconceived idea about what all these painted leaves might become as artwork, I just kept painting leaves—silvery spirals on the front, a sheen of solid silver on the back, and a thicker silver on the stem.
Each leaf became its own artwork; each spiral its own universe with untold depth and shimmering expanse, like a stone tossed into a still lake. One spiral ripples outward into the galaxy, intersecting with another spiral, then another, influencing each other to the edges.
There seemed to be so much information about the origins and meaning of the spiral. But it was this that resonated most with me: “In the Paleolithic era, the spiral symbol was used to convey a deep connection between humanity and the cosmos. This powerful motif represented cosmic forces, celestial bodies, and the cyclical nature of life.” 1
During those in-between times, in the middle of the night, when I awake just slightly before falling back to sleep, I’d sometimes see it, a clue of the thing to make. I’d try to hold on a little longer, lingering there to remember the details. At other times, when I’m between moments and happen to look at something in my studio, I catch myself lingering there too, curious and taking in some wordless clue of the thing to make.
A sculptural hanging was emerging, and I sketched what was starting to form. Leaves held at their stems by thin silver wire, then tethered and layered to a stick, forming a sculptural hanging. Or leaves held by wire at different lengths and gathered at the top, creating a different sculptural hanging.
I find myself following my intuition most of the time. From impulse to action, I watch and listen and make as the artwork comes into form. It has its own energy. And I have mine. This is where we overlap and interact.
And like those silvery spirals rippling outward and intersecting with each other, we influence each other to the edges. We make meaning together.
Something else that spoke to me was this: “[The spiral] represents the infinite possibilities that await us in life, urging us to embrace curiosity and venture into the unknown… Each revolution of the spiral signifies progress, as we continuously learn, adapt, and evolve throughout our lives.” 2
And so, this non-linear process of becoming a sculptural hanging continues, venturing into the unknown until it is known. It needs to be given more time, given the time between moments and the in-between time, for it to come into being in the way it truly desires—and for me, too.
In between…
LouLou
“Silvery spirals” was originally published as an exclusive post to supporters in May 2024. Now it’s public to you, too! If you’d like to support my art and writing life, please consider a one-time donation or a monthly membership ($6/month) on the creator platform, Ko-fi. I would be most grateful!
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