Artist’s Statement: During a three week artist’s residency at the Morris Graves Foundation in Northern California, I created many sketches of the plant and animal life I encountered there. One small, five-petaled flower inspired much study. This pair of drawings represents two versions of one of the geometric abstractions that evolved from that exploration. While the points and edges of the shapes in the drawings were predetermined, the repeated lines – drawn without the aid of a straight edge – required focused, in-the-moment concentration and a steady hand. The simple compositions ‘hold’ the tension in the wavering lines to create an optical effect that evokes the energy of the life force present in all living things.