Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
- and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all.
- Emily Dickinson

FRACTAL ART IS ABSTRACT ART that is constructed using mathematical formulae and a computer program that can handle the complex equations. Iterated fractal flames are generally self-repeating, and infinite.

All of those facts make it sound as though creating fractals is an impersonal, cold process. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Making sense out of chaos, designing shapes and colors and ideas and coaxing them out of rigid formulae all make the fractal art process a personal, sometimes spiritual, journey for the artist. If the artist does their job well, the images will also evoke a response in the viewer.

Feathers are a theme oft repeated in my art, both because feathers are fractals truly found in nature, just like ferns and snowflakes, but also because they convey a sense of hope and lightness of heart. They uplift and give the soul a sense of weightlessness.

As I set out to create Hope Like Feathers, I was originally going for a flower design. As the image became increasingly featherlike, I abandoned the flower idea and embraced the feathers as a fitting idea behind the image. Because fractal art is often abstract, I knew others may interpret the image differently than I did. In my mind I saw them as jaunty feathers on a lady's old-fashioned hat; worn in times of trial to uplift her spirit. What do you see?

Natalie Kelsey grew up in southern California, went to cosmetology school in Utah, and makes her home in New England; all places of extraordinary natural beauty. She is, first and foremost, the wife of an aerospace engineer and the mother of three precocious children. She has the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom, and truly enjoys the chance this gives her to grow up with her kids. However, one must maintain one's sanity, and after cycling through various unfulfilling hobbies, Natalie stumbled onto the joy that is fractal art.

Originally introduced to fractals by her husband, Natalie saw them as interesting but much too difficult for a non-mathematical person. However, after being persuaded by a friend to explore the online art community in the spring of 2006, Natalie discovered that fractals could be generated by using software that handles the complicated mathematical component. Intrigued and excited, Natalie began teaching herself how to design and create fractal flame art.

All fractal images in Natalie's gallery were created with various versions of Apophysis, an open source fractal flame editor and renderer for Microsoft Windows.

© Natalie Kelsey , 2007
To view Natalie's gallery, please click here. To contact Natalie by email, please click here.

Natalie's work may not be used in any way without her written permission. Like all featured artists and photographers on PlanetLightworker.com, Natalie's images are not public domain.
 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR ARTWORK OR PHOTOGRAPHY
FEATURED ON THE COVER OF PLANETLIGHTWORKER.COM
PLEASE SEE OUR CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES
AND CONTACT: Deputy Editor