Some artists are blessed with an innate sense of aesthetics. But for most of us, to base our creations on intuition and perception can be daunting, leaving us second guessing on how to evaluate and develop our art.
Creating a work of art that transforms our thought processed into something viable and tangible as well as aesthetically pleasing can be both intimidating and dispiriting. Fortunately the rules of aesthetics and the principles of design provide a path to guide us. This path helps artists gain insight into the creative process and enables them to progress with confidence and conviction.
Every culture throughout history has had its own set of rules for artistic endeavour and harmonious composition. For each artistic discipline, be it, pottery, painting, sculpture, calligraphy or other forms of creative expression the visual tools of line, shape, form, space, colour texture and value have helped create a nuanced and lasting expression of art.
As potters/ceramists, our path through creativity opens up with precisely those elements, but how we use these elements is defined by the principles of design. Majority of these elements are Colour, Contrast, Balance, Emphasis, Focal Point, Harmony, Juxtaposition, Layer, Movement, Negative Space, Pattern, Proportion, Repetition, Rhythm, Unity and Variety.
