How art gave my mathematically-created heart pulse

Recently, my final project for calculus left a deep impression on me as is navigated through the creation of real life models using mathematical functions The project was an independent proposition, and everyone delivered something different. Me and my teammates decided to sketch out a heart and calculate the volume of it using Onshape. For this, we devoted much effort to choose the most suitable mathematical functions — parametric equations, surfaces of revolution, that whole thing — and render something ‘geometrically outstanding.’

The actual process was not simple. Rather than ready-made formulas, we had to build the heart from scratch using NURVES curves, which is a notoriously difficult modeling tool that is not covered in our current curriculum. I precisely wrote one function at a time and manually observed and tweaked each until the shape looked right. In the very end, we managed to come up with 20 separate functions. The final error rate calculated by the digital tool and our final result was kept within 0.06%. I was genuinely proud of ourselves and impressed by the idea my teammate initiated of generating a shape using mathematical functions, which in my view is a perfect combination of art and science. Although the process was quite a challenge, I came to realize how different subjects are

interconnected with each other, specifically in our heart model. Math gave the heart its structure and art gave it a pause. My team made some ugly hearts. Lopsided, lumpy and weird. We have to frequently stay up to fix tiny errors and endure friends walking by, staring at our screens and asking if it was a kidney. One night, however, while we were on our 16th function, we discovered that our newest progress fitted the expected curve perfectly. I was never a professional sculptor, and I wouldn't say I'm good at it. But while spending time on Onshape, I found myself using logic and details more often. The rotation of my views and constant checks on all of the shadows enabled me to adjust curves by fractions of a millimeter. To my surprise, it didn't really feel like a burden. Instead, I sincerely wished the curve would look better as I worked. This presentation of cross disciplinary art made me temporarily forget about the rubric and start caring about how something feels to me. And that is how me and my teammates turned our project into a piece that made both ourselves and my teacher impressed. Cross disciplinary art throughout this experience taught me that instead of mastering two fields, we should allow one to borrow from the other. My final project paved the way for me to gain a more nuanced understanding as I stopped treating it like a demanded assignment, but like an enjoyable sketch. To be honest, that heart is still pinned on my laptop wallpaper.