Abstract art is a way to perceive the world. For me, art isn’t intended to be “about” anything but there is a curious balance in the fact that nevertheless, the very thing that inspired the work ends up reflected in the piece. When it comes to commissioned work, it’s a rewarding challenge and deeply personal honor when someone trusts me enough to create something important to them. Something in the work feels soul-fulfilling but curiously simultaneously a monumental mental task at hand. 

This particular piece was commissioned by a woman who had a family member graduating after earning her Ph.D. in fluid dynamics. In the simplest term, fluid dynamics is the sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that describes the flow of fluids—liquids and gases. By nature, watercolor painting parallels the principles of fluid dynamics in the blending of water and paint to form shapes that take on cloud-like or some like forms. These shapes offer a good reflection of fluid things that we can see in our world. 

Before I ever sit down to work on any commissioned piece, I ask A LOT of questions and do copious amounts of research. This time I wanted to incorporate the thesis that the intended recipient of the work had written in her Ph.D. program. I took charts from the study and recreated them as an abstract piece with other symbols from her work. I knew that my personal task was not to understand dynamics but instead was to look for things when I was researching to find out what beauty I could find and how can I create something beautiful in her eyes about the work that she does. I hit a jackpot. I found captivating images of a fluid dynamics practice that involves testing colored smoke. Innately, it reminded me of the way watercolor moves. 

My hope for this piece and any that I work on is that when the woman received this painting she could see what I was trying to do and the love and care that went into the creative process.