The year 2017’s  first piece – “Blue Nodes”- is done. Woo hoo!!! I continued with my Circular Blocks series from last year here. This time I went back to using a different color other than black as my background. As you’ll notice, I’m using a color scheme that you might recognize from some of my earlier work.

Refine, Repeat, and Reorganize

In the final pieces of this series, what I’m trying to do is to “tighten” the parameters with which I work. I’ve explored a lot of angles in this series and I feel like it’s time to refine, repeat, and reorganize the last few pieces to more clearly fit into a recognizable pattern. So “Blue nodes” begins this effort.

In that vain of “fitting into a recognizable pattern” – as all work in a series should – I repeated the circular block shapes. And I used a variety of thread sketching techniques to add texture and interest to the piece. I’m still not quite satisfied that I achieved my aim of keeping these last pieces very simple.  I do like a minimalistic look.  And I often try and shoot for that in some of the abstract work that I create. But until now, I haven’t quite hit it yet.

Why Would You Want to Work in A Series?

Thankfully, I’m working in a series and this is where one of my favorite benefits of working in a series kicks in.  That is, I get to refine, repeat, and reorganize my ideas in the next piece. So although, “Blue Nodes” didn’t quite make it in terms of a minimal design, the next piece might just do that. And this might just answer the question that sometimes folks ask about working in a series.  “How can you work on the same thing for a long time without getting bored?” I think it’s because every subsequent piece in the series, you’re trying to achieve something new. You’re trying to explore a different angle. Working in a series might seem limiting but it’s actually liberating. This quote from the painter Chuck Close sums it up very well.

“When everything in the world was a possibility, I only tried three or four things over and over …once I decided I was going to have relatively severe limitations, everything opened up”

I’m looking forward to “everything opening up” as I limit myself by refining, repeating and reorganizing the basic elements in my design.

Your Turn

What new projects have you begun working on this year? Are you refining, repeating and reorganizing some stuff or are you starting completely new? Warmest Regards,     Watch all the Thread Sketching  Videos and Learn the Thread Sketching Tips & Techniques. SaveSave SaveSave