Challenge #35 - Radial Symmetry & Colors of Nature

Challenge # 35 - Friday, July 24, 2009

Guest Hostess: Wendy Wetzel, Flagstaff AZ (quilts shown here are by Wendy Wetzel)

Theme or Technique: Colors in Nature
Look around you, that’s a lot of color!

Design Concept: Radial Symmetry

Symmetry reflects a sense of order and balance. It is the balanced distribution of shapes on an axis or extended to or from a reference point. Our physical bodies are relatively symmetrical, but not necessary identical. One half is (more or less) similar to the other. Most leaves demonstrate symmetry from a central vein.

Radial symmetry is the property of having similar parts regularly arranged around a central axis.

Consider a simple daisy with its central core of bright yellow, surrounded by white petals reaching out from the center. The microscopic images of snowflakes also reflect radial symmetry. Kaleidoscopic images are other examples of radial symmetry.

In quilting, there are many ways to express radial symmetry: Traditional patterns such as Trip Around the World, Lone Star, Hawaiian Appliqué, Kaleidoscope, Lone Star, Lemoyne Star, Ohio Star, and Bear Paw, and even Stack-n-Whack demonstrate this concept. And there are many, many more.

Radial symmetry draws the viewer’s eye to center or focal point.

For this challenge, consider the concepts of radial symmetry using the colors of nature (that=s a wide range to work with!). You may want to express these concepts with a perfectly symmetrical piece or crop the image to show just a portion of the image and imply the concept.

Discussion - The following is included for informational purposes only:

The basics of radial symmetry in art
http://www.mmwindowtoart.com/foundations/balance.html

A great discussion about radial images in photography
http://www.improve-your-digital-photography.com/Radial_Symmetry.html

Examples:

Symmetry and Radial Symmetry in Photography:
Christopher Gruver’s Fine Art Botanical Photography
http://www.christophergruver.com/index.html

Symmetry in Natural Art:
Andy Goldsworthy’s Sticks Framing a Lake
http://ffffound.com/home/dolan/post/?offset=75&

Snowflakes:
Kenneth Libbrecht http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/
His story on CBS Sunday Morning:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4838269n%3fsource=search_video

Radial Symmetry in Architecture:
The Rose Window of Norte Dame Cathedral in Paris
http://www.elore.com/Gothic/Features/Paris/north_rose.htm

Mandalas:
Just google “mandala” for thousands of examples
Here’s a couple: http://www.fractalarts.com/ASF/mandala9.html
http://www.susanwarner.com/galleries.html

Fractal Art:
http://www.fractalism.com/fractal-art.htm
http://www.fractalarts.com/ASF/Fractal_Gallery_61.html

Radial Symmetry in Quilting:
Paula Nadelstern’s Kaleidoscopic Quilts

http://www.paulanadelstern.com/quilt-gallery/index.html

Ricky Tims’ Fire Dragon Rhapsody http://rickytims.com/images/Fire_Dragon72.jpg

Cathy Miller’s La Rotella Di Colore http://singingquilter.com/

(Under Quilting and toward the bottom of the page)
Norah McMeeking’s Bella Bella Quilts
http://www.bellabellaquilts.com/bella.html
Katie Pasquini http://tinyurl.com/mslz32