The shape I chose was a spiral, for so many reasons. This shape has great significance to me in the form of my original image, spirals on each side of my engagement ring. Spirals also have a spiritual significance to me, as a representation of this mortal coil, growth, and the connectedness of things. From triskelion shapes to fractal spirals to geometric flowers each of the patterns I’ve developed represent different facets of the importance of this shape to me.

In the beginning I chose to stay clear and basic with the shape, using different brush strokes to give the spiral a rougher texture. If one knows the size of the canvas is 8.5x11, or sees this printed to scale the scale of each spiral is a bit larger than quarter while in relation to each other the scale is fully uniform. Using different complementary colors in combination with cool background tones gives the final product a sense of unity.

In pattern two I used a different brush stroke, selecting one that was smoother, and calligraphic in nature. By flipping and rotating the spirals I combined them to create a triskelion, then mirror imaged the pattern from one outer edge to the other. This layer set the scale for the piece because of its opacity and size which give it a sense of importance. The bottom layer is a pattern fill at three quarter opacity and topped with a third layer using a few larger spirals in a decorative brush. This layer really serves to break up the pattern fill beneath it, giving an even greater sense of scale to the uppermost layer of large triskelions.

In my third pattern I really wanted to focus on the earthly, connectedness aspect of this symbol, which I think the bright white and yellow flowers and green stem spirals do nicely. Using a secondary layer of flowers with a higher transparency level allowed the top layer to pop and provides a sense of depth that is lacking in some of the other patterns.

Pattern four explored transparency by layer as well as freeform gradient fills. Using two rows of spirals per layer I created a drop shadow effect in yellow. This yellow stands out against the darker plum colors of the upper right gradient fill. When viewed in comparison with the other patterns in this series the scale of spirals is slightly smaller, though there isn’t anything to give a frame of reference within this pattern itself.

In pattern five I got a bit more abstract, layering and grouping several sizes and brush strokes of triskelions. This layering is representative of the years of my relationship, and the myriad facets thereof. Scale is reflected in relation of one triskelion to another.

Image six was one of the most fun to create, and the inspiration behind it was multi-fold. First a power symbol for electronics, which are a huge factor in my life. It also reminds me of an event flyer I made several years ago for a surf contest. The scale of this single spiral is very large, however there are actually three spirals of different sizes and transparencies.