“Artist’s Design: Probing The Hidden Order” by Marie MacDonnell Roberts. --- This book on artistic design composition identifies and describes the elements of design -- the basic requirements of a painting; the role of the artist's means to achieve an integrated work of art ; the role of tension and movement ; the use of the track of vision to control the path and pace of the viewer's eye; and the use of a variety of design scaffoldings to provide solidity and clarity to a painting. 250 illustrations (190 of which are in color ) are integrated into the text to demonstrate these principles. Many of the paintings included, although masterpieces in their own right, are rarely seen in anthologies.
According to Marie MacDonell Roberts a "Geometric Division of Space" structure is a formal deliberate kind of grid with more or less straight lines and 2-3 different sized divisions. A grid-like flatness prevails. The same subject matter or aspects of it appear in all divisions. Nuances of difference are found in one section from the other which creates these divisions by a gradual change in colour and value".