Two short papers are linked here by the relationship of their authors, lay people in mathematics, and by a same mathematical object that inspired them independently in creating a couple of works. The first author's passion for animals, even down to the humble shell displaying the particularly beautiful spiral shape that is a manifestation of mathematics in nature, informs her art in Part I. In Part II the second author reasserts the value of the past while embracing technology as a path to excellence and beauty. Relevant stakes, challenges and opportunities are illustrated by the enlargement of a previous spiral-shaped hand made work shown at Bridges 2011 using a promising technology still in infancy.