52 Sound Paintings, Helen Davey

Helen Davey is celebrating her 52nd year by composing a piece of music to and art work once a week, 52 Sound Paintings. I encourage you to check out her varied styles and sounds, I am so amazed. In preparation for her composing to my Pentad we shared a delightful 2 hour Skype chat - Switzerland to Kentucky.

©Kathleen O'Brien, Pentad, Mystery of Numbers, detail

I received the notification that it was ready and loaded on her site on April 4. I just love the meditative quality to her 6 minute The Phi of Five. She did more research into the golden mean and composed it in 5/4 meter and used the Fibonacci series. Read more about her process, she would love to her your response to this and the others you may hear on her site since she started last November.

I you would like to view/listen/buy her music in high quality format, check this site.

10, Decad, Happy Sixth Day of 2014

Following in yesterday's track, here is Decad, the nature of number.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Decad, 12 x 7.5"

Decad is a Golden Rectangle.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Decad, detail, square

"Based upon the appearance of the first 4 numbers all other numbers emerge. Step by step they approach the decad, or number 10. Step by step we move beyond the ordinary numerical interactions and geometric relationships and find a new beginning with the decad, the beginning of a journey into limitlessness."* Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Decad, detail, Golden Rectangle

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Decad, detail, square

The Tetraktys, an equilateral triangle made up of 10 dots,

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.     .

.     .     .

.     .     .     .

displays that the power of 10 lies in the number 4. (1+2+3+4=10) Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Decad, detail, Golden Rectangle

The ephemera is of Pomegranate, and the ten botanicals are little white flowers. What are your associations about ten?

*Words in Quotes are from Divine Proportion by Priya Hemenway

5, Pentad, Happy Fifth Day of 2014

Following in yesterday's track, here is Pentad, "the next level of cosmic design... symbol of life itself."*

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Pentad, 12 x 7.5"

Pentad is a Golden Rectangle.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Pentad, detail, square

The method of construction is complicated, was kept secret until Luca Pacioli (da Vinci's teacher) published Divina proportione in 1509. Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Pentad, detail, Golden Rectangle

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Pentad, detail, square

The geometry of the Pentad is see often in nature, like the seeds of the apple, a starfish, our own hands. Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Pentad, detail, Golden Rectangle

The ephemera is of Forget-Me-Not, and the five botanicals are Forget-Me-Nots. What are your associations about five?

*Words in Quotes are from Divine Proportion by Priya Hemenway

4, Tetrad, Happy Fourth Day of 2014

Following in yesterday's track, here is Tetrad, which relates to 3-D volume.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Tetrad, 12 x 7.5"

Dyad is a Golden Rectangle.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Tetrad, detail, square

A square is formed within the vesica piscis when two lines are drawn between the two midpoints of the circles and the intersections of the vesica piscis. Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Tetrad, detail, Golden Rectangle

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Tetrad, detail, square

"Four is the first number formed by the addition and multiplication of equals (4=2+2 and 4=2x2). The square represents justice"* and the earth. Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Tetrad, detail, Golden Rectangle

The ephemera is of Hellebore, and the four botanicals are Lilacs. What are your associations about four?

*Words in Quotes are from Divine Proportion by Priya Hemenway

3, Triad, Happy Third Day of 2014

Following in yesterday's track, here is Triad, which relates to surface. "Three is the firstborn, the eldest number."*

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Triad, 12 x 7.5"

Triad is a Golden Rectangle.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Triad, detail, square

"The triangle encloses the smallest arena within the greatest perimeter. It is the initial shape to emerge from the vesica piscis"*, created by joining the two points of the line with the upper intersection of the vesica piscis. Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Triad, detail, Golden Rectangle

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Triad, detail, square

"Ancient mathematical philosophers referred to the triad as prudence, wisdom, piety, friendship, peace, harmony, a statement about relationship and balance. Trinity is the preeminent symbol of divinity."* Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Triad, detail, Golden Rectangle

The ephemera is of pineapple, and the three botanicals are Larkspur petals. What are your associations about three?

*Words in Quotes are from Divine Proportion by Priya Hemenway

2, Dyad & Happy Second Day of 2014

Following in yesterday's track, here is Dyad, which relates to line. "One and two are the parents of all other numbers."*

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Dyad, 12 x 7.5"

Dyad is a Golden Rectangle.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Dyad, detail, square

From the center of the first circle one finds the center of the second, between which is a line. The shared space is the vesica piscis. "Duality, polarity, simultaneously divides and unites, repels and attracts, separates and returns."*  Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Dyad, detail, Golden Rectangle

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Dyad, detail, square

"Two reveals itself as the door between the One and the many, between Monad and all other numbers."* Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Dyad, detail, Golden Rectangle

The ephemera is of sesame, and the two botanicals are Clary Sage petals. What are your associations about two?
*Words in Quotes are from Divine Proportion by Priya Hemenway

1, Monad & Happy First Day of 2014

Thanks to my dear friend Kitty who said of The Mystery of Numbers, "I bet it would be fun to study these in depth discovering all kinds of hidden messages and mysteries of numbers." She started me thinking of how I could create details of this Multiple that is premiering tomorrow at Community Art Center in Danville. People often ask me about the Golden Rectangle and Golden Proportion I use in my art. So I thought I would break it down showing each one on the next 5 days.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Monad, 12 x 7.5"

Monad is a Golden Rectangle. One relates to point.

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Monad, detail, square

"Nothing exists with out a center around which it revolves. The center is the source. The circle encloses the greatest area within the smallest perimeter."* Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Monad, detail, Golden Rectangle

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Monad, detail, square

"The first, the seed, the essence, the builder, the foundation, unity. Any number when multiplied by one remains itself."* Taking this square away, the next Golden Rectangle remains;

©Kathleen O'Brien, The Mystery of Numbers, Monad, detail, Golden Rectangle

From a hundred year old encyclopedia I chose botanicals, here a one petaled flower, above, one rose petal in the circle.

I would be interested  to hear what associations you have with the number one.

*Words in Quotes are from Divine Proportion by Priya Hemenway