Tangled

When you look at patterns, think about patterns (and designs) and repeats motifs ...they seem to pop up just about everywhere. Ever noticed that? All Zentangle lovers report this if you read their blogs...they find new patterns in old cathedral walls in Europe, in the hotel carpets in Quebec and everywhere in nature.

I picked up a new book to start called The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson...a friend loaned it to me months ago and I am just now getting started on it.

It is about, wouldn't you know, a woman who runs an embroidery business and she is immersed the patterns for shawls and dresses. Embedded within the first story is a second story about a 16th century woman ALSO involved in patterns in Turkish rugs and fine dresses. (Who lived in Cornwall where my husband's ancestor's hail from!). Serendipity. I love it.

This painting called "Tangled" is a re-do of a wc I did many years ago when I was practicing poured painting and negative cut outs. It is is similar to one I did last week and I probably painted both of them int he same time period. It is very relaxing trying to figure out where to make a ribbon or string appear a second time, if at all.

The character in my books says, "embroidery is an improbably hobby for someone as disordered as me, but it's the very precision of it that attracts me, the illusion of control it offers. When engaged in stitching a new pattern, I can't think about anything else....the calming exactitude of the discipline." Just so. Like Zen.