Do you ever just look at a pattern and know that it is telling you something? This happens to me often. When I’m painting or framing up an image I usually keep the pattern within its context so that it is recognizable and also “discovered” as part of the whole. But sometimes, just for me, I indulge in a mental soft caress of the pattern by itself. You know? – those patterns that your fingers run themselves over before you hands realize what they are doing….
Washboard glass in the historic Bedford Regency hotel bathroom window in Victoria.
Sediment stone washed by the sea on Mystic Beach, Vancouver Island.
Ancient stone work in Machu Picchu, Peru.
Winter clouds in Georgia Straight.
A monster size batch of cookies.
Okay, I guess you didn’t need the context of my kitchen counter to appreciate this batch of cookies but I bet you found your fingers reaching for them.
Sprout Question: Are there patterns or surfaces that attract your creative attention?
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From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Creative Potager 
I see patterns everywhere and sometimes you get carried away.this past winter it has been branches of bare winter trees.
Chris your latest paintings of the sea also give me that same sense of pattern in your work. Thank you for your sprout response. So glad you stopped by from the UK – must be just before dinner hour or there about.
Sprout question: Are there patterns and surfaces that attract your creative attention?
Of course there are, all types, the folds of rose as in unravels into full bloom, the surface of a painted pole, http://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffstroud/art/4868456-1-watching-paint-chip
The ripple in a puddle http://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffstroud/art/4377980-1-puddle-of-reflections-and-shadows
In my art work, my photography I am always looking for the shadow and pattern that nature creates or is created in nature all the time…
Great blog thank you!
Jeff your links are so absolutely perfect for expanding on your sprout response and today’s post and question. I have noticed and admired your ability to capture patterns before – you have a knack for pulling out the beauty of patterns. Thank you for leaving us a few examples.
Love your post today! I am drawn to rhythmic patterns and textures in nature. My eye seems to seek out tactile surfaces…my fingertips naturally want to follow. This love affair is quite evident within the brushstrokes of my art…have a look and enjoy:) ~Shell http://shellartistree.posterous.com/
Shell I am so glad you made it by to leave this link today. I so admire your latest painting “Sea Major“ and how you show the photograph that inspired it. As you mentioned when I announced today’s post on twitter – our post overlap… and if I may add – in the nicest of ways. Thank you for taking the time to leave a sprout here on Creative Potager.
Terrill – I gained a few pounds just LOOKING at those cookies!
Sprout Question: Are there patterns or surfaces that attract your creative attention?
Much easier to SHOW than TELL. My answer is here http://www.holessence.com/leaflessbranches.html
Laurie, it is not the looking but the snitching of the cookies that is the problem… yesterday, I practiced making a wee tiny batch of chocolate chip cookies instead of a monster batch. My sweetie counted – 18 cookies. Today there are 3 cookies left. We have had no guests. I will not make another batch until next week, or maybe the week after… hoping they will wear off in the interim.
I love your tree branch link Laurie and that is exactly the kind of thing that I am talking about – and nice idea to create a page answer… will it stay or is it just for today?
I love the clouds! Which make me think of the thunder clouds that you see like big ships in the sky. Beautiful.
I could go on about how the patterns of trees or the surface of water intrigues me. But the strongest one is of the tabby cat pattern. Mackrel tabbies are more vertical striped vs. the classic tabby which is more like marbled bread. And spotted tabbies that look like leopards. All will have the classic M on their forheads. 🙂 http://christinewinship.com/#goto=kitty-cats&viewimage=1 meow!
Christine… I never noticed the “M” before! Who new there was so much to discover about “the tabby cat pattern?” Lovely watercolour and pencil work by the way. Glad you made it by to leave a sprout offering.
I find myself always playing with the surface of the water with my hand. I am a Pisces to the core and especially when it comes to my element. Just the other day, I sat in the hottub soothing an aching back and found myself mesmerized by the ripples and reflections of light. I had to shake my head and say snap out of it! But I’ve been that way all my life, the fasciantion with the flow and movement of water has never left me. I LOVE fountains, table top fountains to the big ones that dance to music in Las Vegas, I love ’em :+)
Joseph, I’m so glad you found your way over to Creative Potager. Great sprout response. Thank you:)…
I wonder if we are drawn to water so much because we are mostly water? – at least our physical being is.
Terrill – If I had been there I would have been the one guilty of eating the cookies!
Regarding the tree branch link … Yes, I’m going to leave that page there on the HolEssence website and just “scoot” the current photo down and add another above it when I need to link to another photo when it’s more effective to shown than tell.
Well Laurie, I think you would have at least got a share of the cookies anyway. Good idea with the photo page.
I went through a phase in my life when I was studying the Tao; I read The Tao of Pooh, I cast lots (what is it again? lots of pennies you throw?) for the Tao Te Ching…and during that period I took a photo that I believed captured the essence of the Tao. It was freshly fallen leaves over new snow in the courtyard from my second story window. It would take too long for my taste to find the photo, so my description will have to suffice. I also am fascinated by the patterns birds make as they feed together and fly together. When eating breadcrumbs: Dense at the center, scattered at the edges. Sometimes randomly scattered. Have you seen the slit test explanation on What the Bleep? Now there’s a great pattern that holds my fascination (behaving as a wave or a particle produces different patterns on the wall behind the double slit experiment)
Jessica I can only vaguely remember “What the Bleep?” so I’m afraid the slit test memory file has been recycled. Thank you so much for leaving a word picture for us… sometimes they are the best. Great of you to drop in.
Beautiful shots, Terrill. I’m a bit late to the discussion but I want to add that I, like many others here, find inspiration in all sorts of patterns. Lately, I’ve been exploring patterns in New York City buildings. It’s fascinating how such enormous structure can be so repetitive. See here for some examples: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pamhule/sets/72157623688961010/
Patterns are utterly fascinating. Love the photos you’ve utilized to accompany this post. My photographic eye follows patterns in nature all the time. Yesterday I was on my belly on the wet earth photographing patterns of foam on a stream in the woods.
In writing the patterns of repeating words often create a poetic tempo, a cadance, that draws the reader (heck, the writer!) deeper and deeper into a trance. Deeper and deeper into the work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-slit_experiment I found the wikipedia page for the double slit experiment. Don’t read all the words, just look at the photos. It’s amazing that even at the microscopic electron level, patterns like ripples or waves are formed.
Thanks Jessica… what a treat to have you come back with the link! Most appreciated.
such beautiful textures!
Thanks Leah:)