Spira Mirabilis – Low Pressure
Spira Mirabilis – Low Pressure
©2010, 12″ x 12″, Encaustics on paper mounted on cradled wood panel (unframed)
Low pressure areas in the atmosphere, such as hurricanes, create cloud formations that are approximately a logarithmic spiral pattern. Mathematician, Jacob Bernoulli named them, Spira Mirabilis, Latin for Marvelous or Miraculous Spiral. He was fascinated by one of its unique mathematical properties. The size of the spiral increases but its shape is unaltered with each successive curve. As a former math major, I too find it fascinating that much of nature can be described with mathematics. As an artist I see the beauty in it. Natural World Series.