---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The very formal, beautiful, composed…"
description: "\"The very formal, beautiful, composed order that I make with paint and color is freighted with objects, but like leaves falling from a tree onto a lawnm..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/jessica-stockholder-24425_artist_the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order_2290462.jpg"
---

#  The very formal, beautiful, composed order that I make…

![“The very formal, beautiful, composed order that I make with paint and color is freighted with objects, but like leaves falling from a tree onto a lawnmower below, the edges of this 'thing' have a certain serendipity.” quote by Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/jessica-stockholder-24425_artist_the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order_2290462.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/jessica-stockholder-24425_artist_the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order_2290462.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/jessica-stockholder-24425_artist_the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order_2290462.jpg)

> “The very formal, beautiful, composed order that I make with paint and color is freighted with objects, but like leaves falling from a tree onto a lawnmower below, the edges of this 'thing' have a certain serendipity.”

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Her artwork combines formal composition with accidental, natural elements, creating a balance between order and serendipity.

**In simple terms:** Mixing structured art with random, natural touches.

Key Takeaway

Embrace both control and chance in creation.

Themes

art creativity serendipity order

Mood

contemplative artistic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- studio practice
- gallery installation
- creative brainstorming

Key Concepts

composition color natural randomness

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you decide when to introduce chance?
- What role does spontaneity play in your work?

A Different Perspective

Too much randomness may disrupt intended message.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Certain Serendipity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-serendipity-5379651/) [Color Freighted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color-freighted-5379652/) [Composed Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/composed-order-5379649/) [Falling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/falling/) [Formal Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formal-beautiful-5379650/) [Leaves Falling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaves-falling/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Serendipity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serendipity/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/)

## Related quotes

> [And now, my poor old woman, why are you crying so bitterly? It is autumn. The leaves are falling from the trees like burning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mervyn-peake/and-now-my-poor-old-woman-why-are-you-crying-so-bitterly-it-is-autumn/)

[Mervyn Peake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mervyn-peake/)

> [“It was odd how Aritomo's life seemed to glance off mine; we were like two leaves falling from a tree, touching each other now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-twan-eng/it-was-odd-how-aritomo-s-life-seemed-to-glance-off-mine-we-were-like/)

[Tan Twan Eng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-twan-eng/)

> [“Suffering has brought clarity into my life. Maybe the things that have happened to me are punishment for what I did in a previous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/suffering-has-brought-clarity-into-my-life-maybe-the-things-that-have/)

[Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/)

> [“I don't know how long I've been sitting on this park bench. The light is almost all gone, but when there was light I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/i-don-t-know-how-long-i-ve-been-sitting-on-this-park-bench-the-light/)

[Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/)

> [In the fall, you don't grieve because the leaves are falling and dying. You say, "Isn't it beautiful!" Well, we're the same way. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/in-the-fall-you-don-t-grieve-because-the-leaves-are-falling-and-dying/)

[Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/)

> [“After 50 years together as a couple: "Look how fast the leaves are falling now," Alan says. "The trees will be bare in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-sunshine/after-50-years-together-as-a-couple-look-how-fast-the-leaves-are/)

[Norman Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-sunshine/)

> [“So many leaves have fallen on my life. Some settled nicely to rest, but most fell, withered to bitter cold and drifted on. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/so-many-leaves-have-fallen-on-my-life-some-settled-nicely-to-rest-but/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I wish I understood the beauty in leaves falling. To whom are we beautiful as we go?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ignatow/i-wish-i-understood-the-beauty-in-leaves-falling-to-whom-are-we/)

[David Ignatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ignatow/)

> [The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up,as if orchards were dying high in space.Each leaf falls as if it were motioning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/the-leaves-are-falling-falling-as-if-from-far-up-as-if-orchards-were/)

[Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/)

> [Now the leaves are falling fast, Nurse's flowers will not last; Nurses to their graves are gone, And the prams go rolling on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/now-the-leaves-are-falling-fast-nurse-s-flowers-will-not-last-nurses-2/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [A moral character is attached to autumnal scenes; the leaves falling like our years, the flowers fading like our hours, the clouds fleeting like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-ois-ren-de-chateaubriand/a-moral-character-is-attached-to-autumnal-scenes-the-leaves-falling/)

[François-René de Chateaubriand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-ois-ren-de-chateaubriand/)

> [Now the leaves are falling fast, Nurse’s flowers will not last, Nurses to their graves are gone, But the prams go rolling on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/now-the-leaves-are-falling-fast-nurse-s-flowers-will-not-last-nurses/)

[W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/)

> [“Watch the beauty of your life tree old leaves falling and allowing new ones to sprout !”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-lima/watch-the-beauty-of-your-life-tree-old-leaves-falling-and-allowing/)

[Joy Lima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-lima/)

> [Autumn is the hardest season. The leaves are all falling, and they're falling like they're falling in love with the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-gibson/autumn-is-the-hardest-season-the-leaves-are-all-falling-and-they-re/)

[Andrea Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-gibson/)

> [When you fall in love, it is spring no matter when. Leaves falling make no difference, they are from another season.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-o-brien/when-you-fall-in-love-it-is-spring-no-matter-when-leaves-falling-make/)

[Edna O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-o-brien/)

## More by Jessica Stockholder

> [I think what kids do is play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-think-what-kids-do-is-play/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [I am more interested in asking questions about the edges of things and thoughts. So the objects I use are not initially the subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-am-more-interested-in-asking-questions-about-the-edges-of-things/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [Handmade things tend to be so expensive that only a small part of the population can afford them. And yet making things with hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/handmade-things-tend-to-be-so-expensive-that-only-a-small-part-of-the/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [I've always loved color because it's a little bit like music. I love that it seems to be both physical and ephemeral and engages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-ve-always-loved-color-because-it-s-a-little-bit-like-music-i-love/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [I work in response to the limitations of any situation and in relationship to what's possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-work-in-response-to-the-limitations-of-any-situation-and-in/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [Paint is the skin of a painting: it is fiction. In houses, it disguises the plumbing and wiring and studs and nails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/paint-is-the-skin-of-a-painting-it-is-fiction-in-houses-it-disguises/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [I feel a bit like a magpie attracted to shiny things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-feel-a-bit-like-a-magpie-attracted-to-shiny-things/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [Your hands learn to do things that you could spend a whole day trying to write about and articulate. There's a discomfort associated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/your-hands-learn-to-do-things-that-you-could-spend-a-whole-day-trying/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [I suppose I consider my work a kind of picture making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-suppose-i-consider-my-work-a-kind-of-picture-making/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [In a park, you are not working with studio materials or a flat piece of paper. You have grass and the people and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/in-a-park-you-are-not-working-with-studio-materials-or-a-flat-piece/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [I don't think there's any single finished point for a work. It's done when something's happening with the work that feels like a balanced,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-single-finished-point-for-a-work-it-s-done/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [There's something about materials like copper, woods, stone, trees, shells. You walk outside and these materials are part of the world before we touched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/there-s-something-about-materials-like-copper-woods-stone-trees/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [Things have character. So I'm interested in how the character of the thing might function as a protagonist in what isn't a narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/things-have-character-so-i-m-interested-in-how-the-character-of-the/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [I don't fetishize objects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/i-don-t-fetishize-objects/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

> [Pictures often sit inside of pictures, but the edges of pictures and objects are rarely subjected to serious challenge; we are presented with distinct,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/pictures-often-sit-inside-of-pictures-but-the-edges-of-pictures-and/)

[Jessica Stockholder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

[Explore all 24 Jessica Stockholder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/)

## More Artist quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/)

[Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/)

> [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/)

[Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/)

[Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/)

> [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/)

[Taf Teh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taf-teh/)

> [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/)

[St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/)

> [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/)

[G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/)

> [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/)

[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/)

> [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/)

[Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/)

> [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/)

[Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/)

> [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/)

[Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/)

> [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/)

[Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/)

> [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/)

[Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/)

[Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The very formal, beautiful, composed order that I make with paint and color is freighted with objects, but like leaves falling from a tree onto a lawnmower below, the edges of this 'thing' have a certain serendipity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jessica Stockholder"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order-that-i-make-with-paint-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Artist"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order-that-i-make-with-paint-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/jessica-stockholder-24425_artist_the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order_2290462.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/jessica-stockholder-24425_artist_the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order_2290462.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5be/jessica-stockholder-24425_artist_the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order_2290462.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The very formal, beautiful, composed order that I make with paint and color is freighted with objects, but…” — Jessica Stockholder",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jessica Stockholder",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-stockholder/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The very formal, beautiful, composed order...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order-that-i-make-with-paint-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-stockholder/the-very-formal-beautiful-composed-order-that-i-make-with-paint-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
