June's Theme is PATTERN

Our theme for June is PATTERN. It was chosen by our Chennai chapter and illustrated by Nishant Saldanha.

Recognizing, forming, and breaking patterns are core components of creativity. Visuals, sounds, movements, and the passage of time all form patterns that shape our existence and our work.

Our Chennai chapter’s selection of this theme was inspired by the art form of kōlam; which features patterns of dots that are encircled or connected by straight and curved lines. These intricate, geometric designs are created on the thresholds and floors of houses, temples and businesses using rice flour. The practice is deeply rooted in South Indian culture to welcome guests into the home and bring good fortune and prosperity.

Traditionally created by women, our Chennai chapter shared that these beautiful designs are often created by family members and neighbors as a communal activity. Connections between people form patterns in our lives too.

Which patterns in your relationships, work, and habits are worth repeating? Which ones should be changed? What new pattern do you want to create?

Art and photo by Chithra in Kumbakonam, India @kolam.tamil on instagram.

Photos via Wikipedia.

INSPIRATION FROM OUR COMMUNITY:

Each month, we ask the readers of our Weekly Highlights newsletter to submit creative work inspired by our global theme.

Spice Drip by Dany Green in Brooklyn, NY.

Stained glass mosaic. Mosaics are comprised of tiny individual pieces placed together to make up a larger image. There is a sense of repetitive action like a pattern.
See more work on Dany’s site.

WINDBLOWN by Colleen O’Brien in Medicine Hat, Canada.

36” square painting, to be digitally reproduced on 100% cotton

A lyrical comparison of 6 songs titled “Beautiful” by Rhea Zaveri in Mumbai, India.

This is an infographic to answer the question “what do 6 songs with the same name have in common?” by checking for a pattern. The note at the bottom lists the top 10 words used across minimum 5 artists (discluding personal pronouns/conjunctions/prepositions). You can share the inforgraphic on instagram.

The Dinner Party by Kate Forristall in New York City.

The Dinner Party is an audio drama based on a true story about the Japanese-American incarceration. It is connected to the theme because even after all these years and all the lessons, the instinct to isolate and divide people based on their ethnicity is still with us! Directed and co-produced by James Yaegashi. Listen at WelcomeToTheDinnerParty.com.

The Beautiful Iris by Anthea Ben-Naim in Sydney, Australia.

This is a tile created for a literal pattern. Coming from a long line a fabric creators and sewists in my family I am enamoured by fabric and wallpaper patterning and have found creating my own patterns to be a wondrously inspiring and juicy part of my art practice. This Iris pattern harks back to traditional patterning and yet is made completely of the inspiration from my garden to my paintbrush :)

Patterned Harmony by Sara Vogler in Washington DC.

My abstract art pieces have intertwined colors, geometric, and anatomy creating a symphony of patterns.

Yahrzeit (For Alisa) by Jon Feinstein in Seattle, Washington.

A photograph.

Azulejos by Quest in Toronto, Canada.

Chocolate art (yes, it’s edible.) Growing up in Little Portugal as a mixed race person certainly shaped my experience within the city during my younger years. Azulejos, a traditional style of Portuguese tile, were commonly seen in houses in the neighbourhood I lived and played in as a child. This artwork demonstrates a typical Portuguese hand painted pattern across 8 chocolate tiles. While each tile is beautiful on it’s own, the viewer can get a better picture of the grandiosity when the full pattern is shown on all of the tiles.

Maneki-neko by Pablo Lara H. in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The maneki-neko (招き猫, lit. 'beckoning cat’) is a common Japanese figurine which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. This illustration is vector based and applied to a mockup can. Patterns are present in nature or human-made. Some of the most beautiful human-made patterns are baroque and Japanese. See more of Pablo’s work on his site.

Dragon of vision by Polina Sutyagina in Georgia, Batumi.

We are able to perceive information through the patterns of our mind. Even visual information. Sometimes we cannot see what is just in front of us if we are not ready to see it. And sometimes we see our own demons where in fact there are none. See more of Polina’s work on her instagram.

Generational by Lillian G. Drewson in South Hampton, New Hampshire.

This short poem is about how familial trauma can repeat. In essence, a pattern that each generation tries, and sometimes fails to break.

I will tattoo “not her” across my heart in the blackest ink. And I will feel guilty for doing it. I will hide it deep beneath my skin, acting as if it isn’t the truth, Waiting for the day when it can surface. Then more guilt will bubble up when I realize it can only come forth after the pattern’s inspiration is gone. When I am finally allowed to age appropriately. And will I regress then, creating my own toxic repetition? Passing along a tradition to someone I claim to love…? Do habits that deep ever cease? Or are they just buried trauma, waiting for a fresh victim…?

Giant Puffer Meets Zebra by Maria Velez Campagna in Mooresville, North Carolina.

A combination of two animal markings, the turning pattern as seen on a Giant Puffer fish and the stripes of a Zebra. These markings are turned into a seamless repeating pattern. See more of Maria’s work on her Instagram.

Sun Circuit by Clementine Willowilde in Atlanta, Georgia.

It represents the connection between space and movement, mirroring how we inhabit and remember our environments in a web of details. The layers and lines form patterns of “memory,” documenting or mapping the movement across the canvas. In the process, disparate parts are connected. See more of Clementine’s work on her site.

Brand Patterns by Narcis Sauleda in London, England.

Patterns are part of the visual of brands, you can use them as backgrounds or wrapping paper. They meant to help identify your business.

Fracture by Rose McAdoo in Anchorage, Alaska.

As an artist in the Arctic and Antarctic, I’m wildly inspired by the ever-changing patterns of sea ice fracture and formation. The breaking apart and rejoining of a simultaneously strong and fragile substance resonates in a changing world and reminds me to emulate earths patterns in my own creative journey. See more of Rose’s work on her instagram.

Follow your Patterns by Gabriela Basin in Barcelona, Spain.

Which are the patterns that inspire you the most? Which is the most authentic version of yourself? See more of Gabriela’s work on her site.

Atomic Snow Special: The Patterns Among Us by Gaurav G. in Chennai, India.

It’s a special edition of my fortnightly newsletter on life, the universe and the little things. This time around I felt it appropriate to feature the topic of “Patterns” for this edition. Somehow, patterns surround us and bring us comfort, but it is when we break them, that we innovate (just like I break my regular fortnightly cycle of newsletters with a special in the middle).

Patterns form a very important part of our lives. We see them all around us and they form the base of our learning mechanism. We are pattern recognition machines. Riding a bicycle, playing the guitar, speaking a foreign language, understanding the Universe, and so on,… we catch the rhythm and pick up the skill.

Read the rest on Gaurav’s substack.

Want to see your creative work featured on our blog? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter to find out when submissions for next month’s theme are open.