I sometimes feel a little guilty that about 90% of what I do these days is pattern work in one form or another. I wish I enjoyed doing representational and realistic art more, because I so admire it, but then again: we always wish for things that aren't us somehow, don't we? The grass is always greener...
There's a quote somewhere that comes along on the interweb quite often (and hence I don't know who said it) that we should do the thing we do when we avoid doing the things we should do or are procrastinating. Or simply put: do what comes naturally and easy to you. Patterns come as naturally to me as writing. It just flows out of me somehow. I still have a lot to learn and a lot of exploring to do, but that's not really the point. The point is merely that I love doing them and despite the mistakes I make they never feel 'hard'. And maybe when it comes to personal expression it doesn't really get anymore personal than that. :-)
Here are two pages of Pattern Variations that I did recently in my Moleskine squared XL book.
Playing with colours and shapes is all it really is. No deeper meaning but making me happy and hopefully giving a bit of simple joy to those that see them.
This reminds me of a quote the wonderful Quinn McDonald put on her Facebook recently that was said/written by Martha Beck:
I know that other people make their way by setting rational goals in
reasonable industries, then networking, wheedling, and stressing their
way up career various ladders. I’m incapable of that. All my interests
are as useless as watching Bigfoot shows and reading Immanuel Kant. I do
them anyway, because the only reason I can see for living is to
experience joy, and these things bring me joy.
I hope you have something absolutely useless in your life that does nothing more but bring a smile to your face. I think it might be a key to your happiness. Really I do. ;-)
Wishing you all a wonderful and artsy day!