Materials and Process

• Pencil
• Ruler
• Compass
• Tracing paper
• Drawing paper
• Black marker

1. Starting with a sheet of tracing paper and pencil, I divided the sheet in half and then created a 2 inch by 2 inch square grid.
2. In the center of another sheet of tracing paper, I constructed a square lattice pattern of circles.
3. Then I created a diagonal 2 inch grid.
4. I overlapped the different grids and found connections between lines.

Artist's Narrative

I found inspiration from J. Bourgoin's Arabic Geometric Pattern and Design. Having begun the process, as stated above, I created larger circles that slightly overlapped, the diameters of which connected with one another. I turned the circles into octagons, with each radius of a circle connected to another circle's radius equaling the length of one circle's diameter.

To create the border pattern I divided the pattern in half, which created half-octagons that interlocked. Then I took my border pattern and overlapped the lines over and under each other to create an interlacing pattern.

Teacher's Comment

Based on the linear composition of the previous practicum, here the lines have been increased in width. Some of the intersections have been erased, producing the illusion of overlapping strapwork, which is, of course, virtual. Can you identify within the pattern interlacing octagons? The effect of interlacing polygons is often sought in Islamic art and appears in ceramic mosaic, leatherwork, woodwork, and metalwork.