Gabriella Ferrans, Notan Symmetry and Balance Projects

Fall 2024

11”x15” inches, black paper on white watercolor paper

Balance and symmetry are two of the necessary fundamentals to make a great art piece. Through these three pieces, I was able to broaden my understanding of balance and symmetry with detail and intention. I quickly found that there is more to making a good composition than precise line work and clean images when a balanced piece can make it or break it. I wanted to include my love for nature and animals, which are full of examples of symmetry. Butterflies are a wondrous example of how beautiful symmetry can be, and I used two different perspectives of butterflies for my symmetrical piece. For my asymmetrical composition, I chose a lizard, strawberries, and a mushroom, for feelings of summer, as if all of these images are working with one another in a forest. All three pieces challenged my understanding of notan, and I hope to use these pieces to improve my further understanding of balance and symmetry in the future.