Spring. What's not to love? Sunny, but not too warm. Enough rain to water the garden so I don't have to. The countryside awakens from its wintery slumber and blooms into verdant glory. I love the spring.
In recent years I've associated spring with learning to weave (my first inkle loom came to me in the spring). This year, however, I'm feeling the urge to paint.
My first tentative toe tip into an on line presence was a gallery of my geometric (mandala) art. And for some reason I have an urge to revisit those circular patterns.
All those earlier creations were based on that old favourite of mine: the hexagon. The easiest way to divide up a circle when you have nothing but a compass and ruler, but not the only way. What about shapes based on four divisions, or five? Time to brush up on my geometric construction.
Today let's look at dividing into four quarters.
To divide a circle into four, draw a straight line through the centre. Then open the compasses slightly wider and put the point of the compasses where the straight line crosses the circle and draw an arc. Repeat from the other side of the circle as shown. A line going from side to side (through the little X marks where the arcs overlap) will be at ninety degrees to the original line and also pass through the centre of the circle.
By joining the four points where the straight lines cross the circle a square is constructed. The corners of the square can be used in the same way to create another pair of lines (and thereafter a square) at forty five degrees to the original.
From there you can use the grid to create an eight point directional compass, or maybe take some inspiration from something a bit more ornate like these Moroccan style tiles. The only barriers are imagination.
