Category: Current obsessions

What’s with the five-petalled flower?

Yes, I have a bit of an obsession with five-petal flowers. It started with the kikyomon – the Japanese balloon flower crest, which I use as a signature and a logo for my Etsy shop. Certain five-petal flowers have meaning for me as well. I’ve resisted (until now) researching a more generalised symbolic meaning of a flower with five petals.

A quick scan of various websites and research reveals links between five petals and femininity, the pentagram and the five elements. Of course, there are specific symbolic meanings for particular flower species and there are umpteen paths to follow when you are looking at the number 5. There are also links to pursue in relation to Fibonacci, the Golden Mean, geomancy and Feng shui. Botanical/scientific research and analysis provides insight into the differences between flowers with different numbers of petals.

For the moment though, five petals are asymmetrical, enough said!

The thumbnails in the image above are from various sketches and designs over time.

Day 993/8 🌸

 

 

Taking a braid for a walk

A long-held interest is the idea of fabrication – making my own materials. Kumihimo braiding is quite fascinating and has kept me busy over winter.

 

I love the thought of working with these patterned braids in a sculptural way—using them as lines, braiding (ha! new word – metabraid), knitting, weaving. And I also love that I can use any type of thread—cotton, wool, silk, wire—the list is endless, as is the potential for patterning.

BTW this is Day 999/2 đź’™