The Difference is in the Details - Textures

Noun  TEXTURE
texture (plural textures)
  1. The feel or shape of a surface or substance; the smoothness, roughness, softness, etc. of something.
The beans had a grainy, gritty texture in her mouth.
  1. (art) The quality given to a work of art by the composition and interaction of its parts.
The piece of music had a mainly smooth texture.
  1. (computer graphics) An image applied to a polygon to create the appearance of a surface,
Verb
texture (third-person singular simple present textures, present participle texturing, simple past and past participle textured)
  1. to create or apply a texture
Drag the trowel through the plaster to texture the wall.

Texture gives us so much information.  It gives variety to shapes and it helps us distinguish between items.  It helps identify plants and animals and we can tell what kind of bird lost its feather by the size, color and texture. 
It tells us about health.  Is the skin dry and flaky?  Is it soft and supple?


We use it to solve crimes.  What vehicle belongs to those tread marks? I must be watching too much CSI!  

Textured Hollow Beads
   

insect tracks


 



Texture in the sand can tell us when the tide came in and what lives in the desert. 


One of my photo albums contains pictures of only textures.  I just know I’m going to be able to use many of these with my metal clay.  And I am just beginning to learn about PPP so upcoming work is going to be very exciting for me.  Keep watching!

Willie
We have two pet lizards, Willie and Mario, who are 'bearded dragons'.  I am entranced when I take their pictures and enlarge them so I can see the details in the texture. Circles within circles.  The scales are beautiful and I find myself thinking about the piece of jewelry I’ll make.   When their hormones start raging (they are both males) and their beards puff out turning orange and then black, the tiny lines of skin really show up.  Just lines creating texture and me thinking of liver of sulphur darkening many series of lines in clay. 
Aerial view


And things look so different from a distance.  The texture of this aerial view of the Serengeti just makes me want to transfer everything to a necklace!



This past spring Peter and I went to Boston to the Harvard Natural History Museum.  There I stood with my camera taking pictures of feathers, parts of plants and of animals.  This bird’s feathers were spellbinding! (I don't know what it is!)
 
Textures provide camouflage, safety, information and excitement.  I’d love for you to share your favorite textures with me.  If you share, I’ll post them with your name so we can all enjoy them.

Tortoise














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