Oh, the wonders you find in the most unexpected places. Much of my inspiration comes from my urban/neighborhood rambles. When I travel, I seem to be only one taking photos of ordinary things down random alleys instead of beautiful sunsets.
As a graphic designer for decades, my eye seeks out certain color palettes, patterns and forms. The bonus is finding what I call accidental art—a composition that has all the traces of artistic purpose, yet it appears naturally. The phrase “extraordinary ordinary” is one I come back to over and over. The idea is almost argument against hierarchy — beauty not being the exclusive property of designed, sanctioned and expensive objects.
A crosswalk’s worn lines becomes abstract art but its purpose is purely functional. It might appear as an ornamental border would, but an ornamental border is asking to be noticed. A crosswalk isn’t. There’s a certain dignity in something that just is. Going further, it has the story of thousands of footsteps and car tires. It’s surface is literally a picture of time passing.
There is never a direct one-to-one correlation from what I see to my jewelry. I’ve never been interested in copying what I see. Rather, I seek out the inherent design truths and translate them into something new. These images simmer somewhere in the back of my mind. It might take a while before I realize where some element of an idea originated. Sometimes never at all!
A rusted wall’s rich palette aren’t chosen colors; they’re colors that happened. They weren’t made for us, so we get to feel as though we discovered them. This kind of beauty comes from decay, from entropy. There’s a paradox in decay: the process that destroys order creates unexpected pattern. Rust blooms in almost floral forms. Paint peels in topographic layers. Concrete cracks along stress lines that mirror geological fault maps.
All of these extraordinary ordinaries are just quietly waiting to be noticed. They are simply invitations for attention. I, for one, am glad I don’t need to go far to find the wondrous.