Tuesday greetings collectors! The world heaved a collective sigh of relief yesterday as the Dow rallied. Unsurprisingly, the mood in New York was markedly different; it's amazing how tense things become when everyone's holding their breath for weeks on end!

The skeptical (not to mention cynical) New Yorker in me poked fun at the "don't forget to breathe" mantra that was oft repeated when things got tense at the San Francisco start-up I worked at over a decade ago. Now that I'm older, wiser and, believe it or not, less cynical in some ways, I can grudgingly admit to finding some wisdom in this idea. Turns out that breathing in, breathing out and how you do it is an awfully powerful thing.

This is no news to artist Ann Tarantino, whose work I am delighted to present to you today. She has built an artistic practice that honors and examines the power of this function that's at the core of our existence. The ink patterns of Far and Wide and Flying Colors map the patterns of Ann's breath on the paper.

This is how I described her technique when I first introduced Ann's work* to 20x200 collectors just over a year ago: The Breath Portraits are the product of a new kind of action painting: the foundation of this series is patterns Ann creates by blowing ink through a straw. She goes on to embellish the work with paint and ink, adding purpose and intention to the (somewhat) random outcome that her breath initially creates.

It's an interesting contrast - the idea of the control of one's breath and yet only having so much power over its outcome, which is then followed by the attention and focus of emotion and intellect. It's an exercise in letting go and also taking charge of what you're able to. There is something of an Eastern vibe, which makes sense, considering that Ann started working on the series while residing in Kyoto.

Ann has further extended her practice via a collaboration with fellow artist Kate McGraw, creating a body of work which is now on view in Washington D.C. at Andrea Pollan's innovative gallery, Curator's Office. A Washington Post Express Critic's Pick, Potential Energy — A Collaboration, features work that "is essentially rooted in acts of performance and a reflection upon the simultaneous vulnerability and power of the physical self."

The influence that each artist had upon the other was clearly profound, and the results are stunning. Ms. Pollan, in describing the collaboration, writes: "During that time, their separate processes - indeed, their identities - were fused into something new that has become a meditation on the act of exchange, process and conversation." If you're going to be in D.C. sometime before the exhibition closes on October 25th, I urge you to check it out in person. Alternatively, you can browse the works online.

One last note before I go: Those of you who aren't frequent readers of the 20x200 blog probably missed out on our Weekend Special, announced there late on Friday afternoon. It's not too late! The offer has been extended through midnight tonight. Use code 20off2k at checkout to get 20% off when you purchase any of our large prints.

And with that, I'm off till tomorrow, when I'll return with this week's photography offering. Look for me then!

*A few prints of Breath Portrait (favorite colors), which is a lovely companion to today's two prints, remain. "Collect the whole set!" sez I.