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9 Basic principles for molding land mosaics
land mosaics
An artist can translate a compelling inspiration into a painting or object that
inspires the public, and even pleases the artist. In addition to inspiration and
materials, skill is a key to success. Skill might be thought of as a set of principles,
knowing what works and what doesn’t -- color mixtures, composition, types
of lines, and much more. The artist has a palette of principles. When mixed
with imagination and experimentation, they greatly increase the chance of a
successful or inspiring result.
If one were designing wheels, using the known principles of wheel design
greatly decreases the chance of producing square, oval, or one-spoked wheels.
Nomatter how beautiful or well-made they are, such wheels do not work. If
the landoranurbanregionisbeingplanned or changed, we do not start from
scratch. We use principles, subconsciously or specified. Water flows downward
so streams are not designed flowing to hilltops. Trees require oxygen for their
roots so we do not plant trees in water. People need security when asleep at
night, so they are surrounded by shelter. Using known principles helps protect
society from poor quality, and unethical, work.
Rather than simply ideas or hypotheses or even concepts, principles can be
thought of as solid rigorous guidelines, a basis or foundation for planning and
action. They do not apply everywhere anytime as we expect a universal law to
do, but the often-considerable direct or indirect evidence supporting them is a
basis for their widespread application (Dramstadet al.1996, Forman 2004a).
Principles alone, however, lead to generic solutions. Monotonous, out-of-date,
or lack-of-creativity might describe designs and plans using only principles on
our palette. Instead, as for the artist whom we so admire, principles are mixed
with imagination and inspiration to produce solutions for the land. Results are
both dependable and creative.