innovation - bringing into being something new; an original (creative) way of depicting subjects or themes.

line - a device used to abstract and delineate space into shapes on a two dimensional surface.

lost-wax - also known as cire perdue, is a technique for casting metal that involves producing a model in wax, investing the completed model in clay, heating the clay mold so that the wax melts and can be poured out of the mold, and filling the negative space with molten metal. It is a technique that has been practiced by various cultures around the world over the last several thousand years.

motif - a design or arrangement which is the basic element within a patterned surface; e.g., an abstract flower used repeatedly to create an overall visual texture.

naturalism - a style which emphasizes the conscious emulation, but not necessarily the imitation of natural phenomena.

nonobjective - a type of art that evokes responses to surface qualities which do not allude, in any way, to recognizable objects or events (the opposite of naturalism).

opposition - a method for achieving contrast and conflict between visual qualities that results in the creation of heightened interest and the arousal of a sense of tension or turmoil.

primitive - a type of art characterized by flat and somewhat unrealistic forms which reflect the artist's lack of formal training; e.g., the painting of a cat by an anonymous artist. The term "naive" is often used in the same context.

realism - a style of art that is characterized by a denial of 'idealized' or 'romanticized' subjects and interpretations, and stresses the factual recording of more 'earthy' objects and events.

romanticism - an artistic style initiated in early 19th century Europe as a reaction against the detached and formal emphases of the neoclassicism of the time. It is characterized by a freer, more expressive use of media to depict highly dramatic, mysterious and exotic themes.

rhythm - a sense of an actual or implied movement existing within some form of organized pattern.