Elke Stangl (elkement)

@elkement.art

1405 Followers 656 Following

Physics PhD, worked on: Heat pumps, superconductors, cyber security. Creating art based on physics, math, and engineering. Blogging about science and art at https://elkement.art Art prints: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/elkement/

Diamond Cubic by elkement 2026. Crystal structure of diamond, colored pencils drawing (construction) on black paper. Two face-centered cubic lattices, shifted by one fourth of the space diagonals of one of the cubes. The atoms on the shifted positions become the centers of tetrahedrons formed by four atoms of the unshifted part. Showing the tetrahedrons (edges highlighted in yellow, orange, and red), and the two "sub-lattices" have blue and green atoms, respectively.
Photo of the pages in a spiral bound notebook, close-up, showing dotted structure.
Photo of a detail of a spiral bound notebook, front printed with geometrical construction - colored pencils on black paper, white margin reminiscent of a mat. The construction shows the cones used in Poinsot's theory of the gyroscope.
Photo of a spiral bound notebook, front printed with geometrical construction - colored pencils on black paper, white margin reminiscent of a mat. The construction shows the cones used in Poinsot's theory of the gyroscope.
Photo of a spiral bound notebook, front and back printed with different geometrical constructions - colored pencils on black paper, white margin reminiscent of a mat. The constructions shows the 1) cones used in Poinsot's theory of the gyroscope and 2) the hyperboloid representing the mass shell in special relativity.
Geometrical construction, colored pencils on black paper: Meandering trajectory of a particle, part of it approximated by half of an ellipse. Side view, top view, view in true size. Traditional descriptive geometry.
Photo of geometrical drawings / constructions related to the osculating circles to a randomly curved line. One picture freedhand, colored with watercolor. Three sheets of white paper with test / research constructions in various stages.
Colored pencils construction of the three cones whose relative motion helps visualizing the motion of a spinning top not subject to forces. Annotated with the German names of these cones. The yellow cone (Polkegel) rolls along the surface of the fixed Spurkegel while its symmetry axis (the figure axis of the spinning top) traces out the blue cone (Nutationskegel).
Sketch of an antique gearbox used in agriculture, to drive tools with a tractor. Monochrome (violet) sketch on black - a digital inversion of a colored pencil drawing on light green paper. By elkement 2026.
Mathematical drawing, illustrating the Aharonov-Bohm effect in quantum physics. Torus-shaped solenoid and diffraction pattern constructed using traditional descriptive geometry, main equations. Colored pencils on black paper, by elkement 2026.
Orthographic projection of a two-part hyperboloid, symbolizing the mass shell in physics. Colored pencils on black paper, mostly white. Traditional descriptive geometry with annotations. Level lines (circles shown as ellipses in the projection) partly highlighted in green and blue, asymptotic cone with orange accents.
Descriptive geometry construction of a hyperboloid, by rotating a line segment skew to the axis of rotation. Colored pencils (mostly white) on black paper, extensive annotations of points and lines. By elkement 2026.
Drawing of a detail of a fire extinguisher (valve, pressure meter): Monochrome gold, drawn originally with blue colored pencil (looking at an inverted photo) on pale green paper, then digitally inverted.
Photo of a drawing of antique scissors, colored pencils (orange, white, black) on black paper, by elkement 2026.
Photo of a monochrome colored pencil drawing that has been digitally inverted. The drawings shows antique postal scales with a large "clock face" - white letters on black background.
Technical monomchrome drawing of a magnetic compass, cyan on warm dark grey. Freehand drawing based on a public domain image (museum exhibit). Invert art: Created with red colored pencil on pale green paper, digitally inverted. By elkement 2026.
Photo of a small sketch of an antique light bulb, graphite pencil on pale green paper.
Photo of a varnished print mounted on canvas - construction of a cube including all helper lines and projection rays in white/orange/blue, implemented in code.
Watercolor painting of the temperature distribution beneath the surface of the earth. Based on the assumption that the temperature varies sinusoially at the surface. Also showing the heat equation and the definition of thermal diffusivity. Four different curves for different times of the year (seasons) - indicated by zodiac symbols. By elkement 2026.
Watercolor painting of the temperature distribution beneath the surface of the earth. Based on the assumption that the temperature varies sinusoially at the surface. Also showing the heat equation and the definition of thermal diffusivity. Four different curves for different times of the year (seasons) - indicated by zodiac symbols. Work in progress, by elkement 2026.
Photo of a freehand geometrical construction, featuring the evolution of the polynomial that represents free enthalpy over order parameters in a phase transition of the first kind. The set of potential functions is seen in a single plot ("2D") and stacked in 3D from an oblique angle.
Canvas print created from a mathematical painting on canvas: Circles on a sphere are projected onto lines via stereographic projection. Axonometry, "3D" view constructed from top and side view, graphite pencils construction enhanced with watercolors, on gessoed and sanded canvas. By elkement 2026.
Collage of four photos showing a colorful geometrical painting on canvas (1x straight-on, 2x slanted angle - showing painted canvas edges 1x close-up). Graphite pencil construction colored with watercolors in the style of stained glass, axnometric projection of a stereographic projection scenario - circles being projected onto lines. By elkement 2026.
Axonometric projection of a cube, an illustration of the construction process generated with custom C code in a semi-manual process. By elkement 2026.
Photo of a canvas a geometric drawing, work in progress, traditional descriptive geometry, coloring the tesselation generated by the projection rays with watercolors: Six circles on a sphere containing the North Pole are projected onto lines. By elkement 2024/2026.
Photo of a canvas a geometric drawing, work in progress, graphite pencil construction, traditional descriptive geometry: Six circles on a sphere containing the North Pole are projected onto lines. By elkement 2024/2026.
Photo of a canvas a geometric drawing, work in progress, traditional descriptive geometry, coloring the tesselation generated by the projection rays with watercolors: Six circles on a sphere containing the North Pole are projected onto lines. By elkement 2024/2026.
Photo of framed geometrical colorful drawings (constructions): Two black frames with black paper as background, four square drawings in the left frame, six rectangular drawings in the right frame. Art by elkement 2025 - related to the physics of the gyroscope (intersections of ellipsoid and sphere), and circles projected onto circle via stereographic projections. Traditional descriptive geometry, orthographic projection.
Photo of a drawing of mathematical art (descriptive geometry) next to a canvas showing the same drawing in an earlier stage (construction nearly done, no coloring yet). Both show how circles on a sphere containing the North Pole are projected onto lines. By elkement 2024/2026.
Photo of a mathematical drawing on 12"x12" canvas versus 18"x18" canvas print - side by side. Mathematical art, 3D Lissajous Figures, descriptive geometry (axonometry), colored with watercolor pencils in the style of stained glass. By elkement 2025.
Collage of five geometrical drawings - colored in the style of stained glass with watercolor pencils. Orthographic projections of functions used in physics, constructed from their 2D projections: Cones related to the theory of the gyroscope, Lissajous Figures, spins and stereographic projection, a mathematical tower from a spherical harmonic function.
Watercolor painting on canvas: A pond surrounded by meadows and trees superimposed with a geometrical construction of the Higgs potential thats looks like the top part of a fruit juicer. By elkement 2026.
Abstract painting showing colorful shapes reminiscent of cells and blood vessels. Watercolors on stretched canvas, by elkement 2026.
Mockup of a canvas print, created from an original mathematical drawing on watercolor paper. Near the edges, distortion effects have been applied digitally to make the drawing appear as if it would melt. Construction of 3D Lissajous Figures from their 2D projections. Two self-similar figures are shown as the borders of a single ribbon. Artwork by elkement 2025, canvas print design 2026.
Abstract mathematical code-generated art: Colorful meandering blurry lines on black background. Created with C code using only default operating system tools, by elkement 2026.
Collage of mockups of canvas prints created from geometrical drawings (axonometry), colored in the style of stained glass. Two prints are shown straight-on and from two oblique angles, respectively. Poinsot's Dancing Cones feature the cones in Poinsot' theory of the gyroscope, Lissajous Trilogy shows the 3D Lissajou figure described by x=sin(t),y=sin(2t), z=sin(3t).
Mockup of a canvas printed from a traditional geometric drawing - featuring several cones embracing each other. A visalization of Louis Poinsot's geometric theory of the gyroscope. Black construction lines enclose polygons that are colored in the style of stained glass.
Geometrical drawing colored in the style of stained glass, by elkement 2026. Higgs' potential (a "tumbler" reminiscent of the top part of a fruit juicer) is shiwn from three directions. The areas enclosed by the construction lines are colored as if their were from translucent glass. Colored pencils.
Mockup of a canvas print created from the drawing Lissajous Trilogy - 3D Lissajous Figures constructed from their 2D projections, colored in the style of stained glass.
Collage of four photos of a mug printed with mathematical art based on physics: Intensity of diffracted light over angle for different wavelengths - a wavy, rainbow-colored fabric on black background. The ceramic mug is otherwise white with a black rim, handle and inside. The artwork covers nearly the whole surface of the cylinder and appears as framed in white.
Diffraction curves (intensity over angle) in spectral colors on black background for different wavelengths. Below the plot are mockups of mugs (white with black rim and handle) to which this plot is printed on - naturally using the cylindrical shape as representation of diffraction angles.
Mockup of a canvas print of a geometric drawing - 3D Lissajous Figures constructed from their 2D projections. The print is seen from an oblique angle, showing the sides of the canvas that feature the image on the front mirrored and distorted.
Technical drawing / geometrical mathematical art - in progress: An ellipsoid rolling along a plane is shown in three stages (yellow / red / blue. The whole scenario is visible from three different directions - three views with line of sight parallel to the co-ordinate axes, the third one from an oblique angle - axonometry. Graphite pencil construction enhanced with colored pencils and black fine liner. By elkement 2026.
"Trippy math art": A SageMath complex plot of the function exp(1/z²) - rainbow colors indicating phase, brightness indicating magnitude.
Technical drawing / geometrical mathematical art - in progress: An ellipsoid rolling along a plane is shown in three stages (yellow / red / blue. The whole scenario is visible from three different directions - three views with line of sight parallel to the co-ordinate axes, the third one from an oblique angle - axonometry. Graphite pencil construction enhanced with colored pencils and fine liner. By elkement 2026.
Photo of antique tuning forks used for precise measurements of frequencies of sound. Four tuning forks of different sizes, each with a small circular mirror attached to the end of one prong of the fork (and a brass counterweight attached to the end of the other prong). Whipple Museum of the History of Science / University of Cambridge.
Collage of mockups of two coffee mugs printed with mathematical art. Each mug is seen from three directions: It features two different but related artworks: 3D Lissajous figures seen from different viewpoints and in different colors. By elkement 2025/26.
Close-up photo of an orange couch and a pillow show mathematcal art - Lissajous Figures in white and black on red background.
Photo of an orange couch in front of a yellow wall, framed with orange curtains. Above the couch is an art print. The pillows show mathematcal art - Lissajous Figures in yellow, blue, white, red, black.
Photo of an orange couch in front of a yellow wall, framed with orange curtains. Above the couch is an art print. The pillows show mathematcal art - Lissajous Figures in yellow, blue, white, red, black.
Technical drawing / geometrical mathematical art - in progress (Coloring started): An ellipsoid rolling along a plane is shown in three stages (yellow / red / blue. The whole scenario is visible from three different directions - three views with line of sight parallel to the co-ordinate axes, the third one from an oblique angle - axonometry. By elkement 2026.
Photo of a T-shirt with elkement's mathematical digital art - back view: Geometry of the physics of the gyroscope (energy ellipsoid intersecting sphere of angular momentum) plus related equations. Dots in green and blue, letters in orange on black.
Photo of the sleeve and upper part of a T-shirt printed with mathematical digital art: Geometry of the physics of the gyroscope (energy ellipsoid intersecting sphere of angular momentum) plus related equations. Dots in green and blue, letters in orange on black.
Collage of four mockups of a canvas print generated from a scan of a traditional drawing - a colorful perspective construction of a tower-like mathematical function. The print is seen straight-on and from three different angles, highlighting the 3D effect of a canvas frame that is rather thick compared to width and height.
Photo of a geometrical construction in progress - lots of projections of ellipsoids seen from different angles. In the center of the paper the density of lines becomes quite high. The photo also shows the tools: Graphite pencil, compass, ruler, colored pencils.
Photo of a canvas print of code-generated digital art: Two sets of self-similar Lissajous Figures, rendered as densely packed metallic tubes in gold and pink on a black background. Art by elkement 2025.
Photo of a canvas print with mathematical abstract art, mounted on the wall near a white masonry stove that features a few painted tiles in colors similar to the ones of the print (gold, pink, brown). Mantelpiece decorated with XMas ornaments. Math art by elkement 2025.
Collage of mockups of a pillow, showing front, back and sides. Front and back show two versions of the same geometrical artwork: A construction of an ellipsoid with two spheres, as relevant for the physics of the force-free gyroscope (Equations included). Art by elkement 2025.
Digital version of a hand-drawn geometric construction, white on black background: Three different views of an ellipsoid intersecting two spheres. Mathematical equation relevant to physics (Conservation of energy and angular momentum). By elkement 2025.