I've decided to kick off my first post with the source of the blog design itself: Agates!
See, since first grade until about 3rd/4th, I was enamored with rocks and minerals, crystals in particular. I still have all the little amethysts, citrines, jaspers, smoky quartz, pyrite, fluorine, and many more. Agates hold a special place in my heart. They definitely have child appeal: like a secret Christmas present glad to hide its beauty in an ugly rock far beneath the earth.
The paradoxical combination between organic meandering and mathematical precision of the layers fascinated me then, and still does. They seem so fluid and careless, and yet took so many, many years to develop. Sort of like how artists will often work to hard and long to create the illusion of spontaneity.
I think agates can provide inspiration to the artist, illustrator, and concept designer for this relationship, their odd and wild color combinations, and the shapes often formed. They can also be excellent textures for the digital artist!
The following close-up agate photos were taken from the Agate Lady Blog. I think some of them would make great abstracts if simply blown up and framed! Though not all the most interesting specimens in the world, they are high res for the most part.
I also recommend looking up Mexican Crazy lace agate, Agatized coral, and moss agate. All have fascinating shapes. Note that agates can be dyed, so keep that in mind during your search if you come across some neon purple ones.
Finally, to conclude this post, here's an artwork I did back in my Sophomore year. It's a tribute to moss agate in particular, and how I used to hold them up to the light and pretend they were little landscapes/worlds:
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