Patterns in Life

At first I wasn't sure I was going to be able to find enough surface design patterns around my house to get a good sample...but once I started looking I kept finding more and more. 

Love this shirt on my partner - did not feel like I had enough time in my life to attempt to replicate it though

This pattern was neat but too organic to replicate at my skill level

After locating the samples, I booted up rhino and began to attempt to replicate the patterns I had found, starting with the simpler patterns that drew my eye. 

 the pattern from our laundry basket and some variations

tessellation inspired by my mask's beadlike flowers

based on the carved candle holder

exploring Pendleton-like designs 

a floral motif from a plate

After replicating sections of designs, I started to have a concept - of integrating some of the disparate elements of my life together. As a biracial person, both Indigenous art and western art are parts of my life and experience - and I am capable of making both separately. This time I wanted to create something that seamlessly merged the contemporary Canadian experience, my childhood in Europe and my Indigenous culture. (Shout out remix culture!)

I value my ribbon skirt highest from all the samples, so I chose to create a pattern that would fit a ribbon skirt or kokum scarf. I created a palette that was similar, with harmonious colour but also a range of values to allow for contrast - it would suck if I couldn't make important elements stand forward from the pattern, and I wanted some boldness.

Starting with the fleur de lis/ acorn shape - something very familiar from European design across the centuries, I began a pattern from 0 on the board. Creating from this point using a pattern that reflected easily made certain tasks very simple - I could rotate and arraypolar to replicate my work around the circle easily. Although I could have worked in just one quad knowing the work would be replicable, I valued being able to see the pattern emerge - this is a new process for me and I wanted to be sure of how key elements would look. 

The Indigenous patterns tended towards geometric and angular, but the refined floral European patterns I had in mind leaned towards arcs, curves and flourishes. Contemp western as sampled mixed both - geometry and circles. I worked through solutions until I found a mix that appealed to me, while being reminiscent of my sources. I incorporated elements of nature, but changed the crossed arrow pattern on the skirt to four bullet shapes.This felt quite western and I wasn't surprised to notice that. 

For a portion of the process, I worked with the top circle containing text - wahkomâkanak in Cree syllabics. I was surprised by how easy it was to create the syllabics shapes. Ultimately I removed this portion and rotated in one of the other circles, as I didn't feel it contributed to the pattern. I did keep the triangles which are the letters O and A in syllabics, because I felt they provided a link to the triangles so heavily used in pendleton design. 

The finished pattern segment

I created a little corner piece, knowing it would create a star effect in the dead space between the four-hoops shapes. This was easily duplicated through polar array. 

Using array and knowing the dimensions of my square design, it was easy to duplicate and align my pattern without overlap or gaps. I feel like I hit my intentions pretty squarely - there is a lot of meaning within the design, specifically linking to Indigeneity - connections, relationships between elements, nature, markers of strength, the stars - and a teeny tiny medicine wheel in the centre. I could easily wear this at a powwow, or as part of a contemp urban Indigenous hoodie yet the European elements - like the gothic feeling overlapping circles and the fleur de lis' don't compete or feel out of place. 

Yes, hatching took a while, but being methodical and designing with polar array in mind saved me a lot of time, and I would certainly do this again. I look forward to hearing how this will be fabricated - as I suspect I may need to change elements based on the size we are going to replicate at, due to some of the small and fiddly pieces- but I feel confident I can do so while maintaining the balance I have found.