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When people find out I am both a systems analyst and an abstract painter, they usually comment how each skill relies on different sides of the brain. Most people have a dominant side – right being the creative side and left being the analytical side. But one concept that connects the two skills is working with constants and variables. If you remember your algebra class (which I do because I loved it!) you’ll recall how algebra is about solving equations. You solve these equations by using constants and variables. Change a variable in the equation and you get a different result.

Troubleshooting system related problems is all about thinking in terms of constants and variables. When a smooth running system no longer works, the first question you ask is “what changed” – what’s the variable that cause a different result?

If building a new application or new website you can define your constants. Who is the site for, what is the function of the application, etc? Your constants act as your guidelines,  the box that you are working inside of. Your variables are commonly people oriented. If the user does this versus this, what could happen – what are the results?

Creating art is quite similar. For a painter, the constants are your support (canvas, board, paper), the size of your support, the medium your working with. These are the restraints or the tools you have to work with – your guidelines.

The variable is when you change something in your creative process. What happens to this predominately cool painting when I add red? Does this introduction of a new warm color cause me to now rework the entire piece to keep it balanced and in harmony? This is where things get exciting! Working with color and the creative process is about experimenting, changing your variables to see what results you get.

In my painting “Blue Morning” I forced a constant on myself by deciding I wanted to work mostly with the blue that covers the entire painting. From there I look for the problems, what does it need, what needs to be solved to pull this off? I brought in new colors to add loosely defined details on the horizon line. As I worked from back to front, layering color on color, the painting developed a wonderful sense of depth.

Now the equation is complete.

Blue Morning