Seven Motifs in Design

This is a practice page in my WTJ of the Seven Motifs

There are seven simple motifs that make up all design,, each is known and familiar and very simple.

The First is the spiral..suggested in a whirlpool, or rolled shapes like a snail's shell

The Second is the simple circle.. as in the sun, moon, ripples in water after a stone is dropped.

The Third is a half circle.. found in a crescent moon, the rainbow

The Fourth is two half circles,... like the letter S, the flames of a fire

The Fifth is a wavy line..like waves of water or hair

The Sixth is a zigzag.. like mountain peaks or lightening

The Seventh is nothing but a simple straight line

The simple fundamentals of this type of design has two rules"
Never cross lines and when when using one or more in a border type line, they should be drawn parallel and equidistant apart"

Paraphrased from a 1926 book by Adolpo Best- Marguard"A Method For Creative Design" out of print of course, it took me 13 years to find a copy.

Its been noted that Walter Anderson studied with Best-Marguard and its obvious in his work..the simplicity of the motif

Walter Anderson Museum Of Art, Ocean Springs, MS is a must see!! I embroidered from my drawing, a copy of "Birds and Thistles"one of his best known watercolors and it was charted and sold in the museum as a fun raiser, I lived in Ocean Springs form 1979 to 1994 .

Walter Anderson contracted with the city of Ocean Springs to paint the walls of the community center.. for ONE DOLLAR..It where I exhibited yearly with OSAA and taught classes for the public on Mondays ..to be surrounded by the 4 walls of exquisite art is heaven. There are several really interesting books about Walter and his work..he was a very unique person, to say the least.. He rowed a bateau out to an island and lived and painted there alone for months at time, documented in "The Horn Island Logs of Walter Anderson"