Some of his images will even be making their way over to Scotland in May for an exhibition at the Islay Festival of Music and Malt.

And Button doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. "I'm trying to let the work just kind of grow organically and see where it takes me," he says.

He recently started experimenting with manipulating the whisky as it dries — moving the liquid around to create different deposit patterns.

He has also begun to wonder about the science behind his images. "I find them fascinating in a weird kind of way," he says. "I think it's a perfect blend between science and creativity."

According to Howard Stone, head researcher at Princeton University's Complex Fluids Group, the rings and waves seen in Button's images are probably the result of particles that are left behind once the alcohol has evaporated.

These particles, which give the liquor its flavor and color, are present in "very, very small quantities," says Stone, and can create an "imprint of what the [whisky] was doing when it was trying to evaporate."

Research has shown that aqueous films tend to form ringlike patterns as they dry. This is because evaporation occurs more quickly at the edges of a liquid, thus drawing particles in the liquid outward.

Inspired by Button's artwork, Stone is now conducting research with two of his postdocs, Ian Jacobi and Eujin Um, to further investigate the properties of dried whisky residues. In particular, they are looking into why different types of whisky produce subtly different patterns.

Button has noticed this as well — that using different types of whisky makes a difference. "It seems like the Scotches that are more inland, like a Glenlivet ... tend to produce finer lines," he says.

But even as he tries to better understand how these patterns are formed, Button never loses sight of why he felt compelled to photograph them in the first place.

"I'm a big admirer of finding the beauty in the normal or the sometimes overlooked," he says. "Take time and observe. ... There's a lot of beauty out there, if you just look."

Images Courtesy of Ernie Button

Copyright 2013 NPR.

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The Wonderful World Of Whisky Art