A short post today because I’m watching the Australian Open women’s tennis final. It’s an exciting and close match. Pattern in nature is my theme today.

Thinking about potential designs for textiles, I continually reference my own photographs. The things that catch my attention are often at the micro level. The variation of colour in moss and lichen. Ripples and puckers in bark. Tiny flowers no more than 2 millimeters across. Sand grains on the top of emerging fungi. Marks made by insects on dry, fallen leaves. Variations of colour and pattern are everywhere.

In the photograph below, there are multiple potential fabric patterns. The repeating star shaped plants, the fluffy, frond-like moss in varying shades of green. Across this are scale-like bark patterns, linear long leaves, and the mottled colour on dead leaves. So much more, if you look closely. The variation in colour and tone also provide inspiration.

Do I see all of this detail when I am taking the photographs? Not when it’s this tiny. However, I walk the same ground regularly. Differences in colour and texture catch my attention. I photograph things I notice and check them out on the computer when I load them up.

‘Try photographing the same patch of ground for a week. At different times of day, and in different seasons. You’ll notice the changes. It’s never the same. Here is a link to a fabric design I created from moss, bark and dried leaves.

if you enjoyed this post, you can read more in the series here.