Module 3. Chapter 1

Module 3 is based on the spiral shape and  to start we have to collect images which we see in both natural and man-made structures.

Of course once I started to look I saw them everywhere! So I’ve tried to select the ones I find really pleasing. I’ve taken some photos myself and looked back in my holiday albums [knew they’d be useful at some point!] as well as looking in magazines /newspapers and searching on the Internet.

I started by looking at spirals seen in nature. I loved the idea of the spiral in the fingerprint , the very essence of our individuality and was fascinated by the similarity between the rose and the cabbage but best of all are the spirals within spirals seen in the unfolding frond of the fern. I was really struck by the colours in the cabbage image [google search] and started to think of this as an idea for my colour scheme.

I started to add a couple of simple pencil drawings to help me understand how the spirals take shape.

Man-made spirals are seen in so many different contexts and the endless images show how they influence our man-made world from  spires and domes in our cities, the drain cover I found in Barcelona [see below top right] and the ammonite fused in stained glass in Gaudi’s house. Wrought iron gates and jewellery use them as decoration whilst aeroplane engines and motorcycle wheels all need the spiral in order to function.

I added a few more drawings:

I found the image below on within my google search which demonstrates the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Section beautifully. I couldn’t get over how similar this spiral staircase is to the rose [although it should probably be the other way up!]

 

Chapter 2a. Colours next:

And coloured papers:

Spiral shapes using various coloured papers:

Simple 3D shapes.

I’ve arranged these on a cardboard base for this photo but have placed them in a box for safe storage.