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Overview: The artwork Archimedean Spiral was created in 2015. It is composed of an oil on a wood panel, complete with an integral frame constructed of recycle pallet wood. The panel itself measures 39.5 x 39.5 x 0.6 cm, while the frame dimensions are 52 x 44 x 7.5 cm.

Concept and Inspiration: My inspiration for this piece originated from discovering Ian Stewart’s book, Nature’s Numbers, many years ago. The book ignited my fascination with the connections between mathematics and nature. Although I am particularly fond of the Fibonacci Sequence, this artwork is based on the recurring spiral patterns found in nature.

Artistic Process: While the work is loosely based on the Archimedean Spiral, it also draws inspiration from the Golden Spiral, a motif commonly observed in snail and crab shells. The initial line for the spiral was derived from an exact computer-generated linear drawing. However, as I broadened the spiral towards a central ball, the precision of the line was gradually lost, resulting in a more organic, hand-crafted image. Elements such as the central ball emerged from a creative and intuitive approach as I developed the composition.

Materials and Framing: To incorporate authentic natural spirals into the artwork, I collected shells from Anderby Creek, a beach near where I live. The frame is crafted from wood reclaimed from an old palette, which has been carefully sanded down and finished with wax.

Influences and Composition: The idea to integrate shells into the piece was inspired by a work by Jasper Johns, featuring a target as the central image and four small cast heads incorporated into the top of a similar frame structure.