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A closer look

Every creative work begins with a choice

Look beyond the finished work to the materials, methods and decisions that shape art, design and creative life.

Finger pressing into smooth wet clay disc on wooden table near pottery tools and plants

No. 01

Why Wet Clay Holds a Fingerprint

Materials

Why wet clay holds a fingerprint comes down to plasticity and moisture. Learn how to press, read and preserve a clear…

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Browse by subject

1MaterialsWhat artists and makers use, and how those choices shape the work.
2ProcessThe stages, methods and decisions behind creative work.
3FormsHow different artistic forms set their own possibilities and limits.
4LookingWays to notice detail, composition and meaning without rushing to a verdict.

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5 articles

Our point of view

A closer look makes room for better questions.

Lively Arts Spotlight explores how creative work is made and encountered. We focus on choices readers can notice, compare and think through for themselves.

  1. Why Wet Clay Holds a Fingerprint
  2. A Sketchbook Page or Loose Sheets?
  3. The Still Life Before the Photograph

About the publication