Notation No. 04: Blue Grid & Star Burst

The base is a rich, slightly uneven blue that shifts from darker navy at the edges to a brighter cobalt through the center — it has the tonal variation of an inked surface, not a flat digital fill. Over that sits a hand-drawn grid, loose and slightly wobbly, with intersections that don't always meet. At dozens of points across the grid, fine white lines radiate outward from a central dot like compass roses or asterisks, each one slightly different in size and angle. The effect splits the difference between a star chart and an architectural blueprint — something was being plotted here, but the legend is missing. Part of The Notation Studies, where each piece starts with a field and builds marks into it. This one has a cyanotype quality — the blue reads like light-sensitive paper exposed in a darkroom — which gives it more warmth and history than its palette might suggest. The fine white detail rewards a closer look but doesn't demand it. Works especially well with a clean frame that lets the blue do the talking.