Fractivity for a Friday

It's Friday.

It's Fall.

It's time or some Fractivity!

Each year, as November nears, I begin to prepare a class on Fractals.  I choose a few patterns that lend themselves to the concept and tangle them on Renaissance tiles.

My past posts about fractals can be found if you click here and click here.  In the first, I wrote that fractals use a repeating pattern of the same initial shape - or line configuration. Each additional layer sprouts into the same pattern only on a smaller scale.

For IAST #167, CZT Nadine Roller's Winflo was featured.  The more I studied the fabulous results, the more the tangle looked as though it could morph into a fractal.

Here are the 'bare bones' step-by-step illustrations of my first Winflo fractal variation:

Begin with one large orb of the pattern with two wings and two stems:              

From each of the stems, two new orbs and sets of stems emerge, slightly smaller that the original ~

From each of these four new stems, two more branch out - again, slightly smaller than the previous ~

And so on...

Don't you love how that grows?  

The same idea can be applied to a three stemmed Winflo ~

From one large orb and set of wings, three stems branch out.  On each of these, an orb with wings will branch out into three more stems ~

And so on...

How much it grows is up to you.


When I began this tile...

...I started with a two stemmed version, but quickly realized that there was more room than I wanted in between them.  I popped in another stem and voila! - the three stemmed Winflo fractal appeared :)


Have a great time playing with this and have a wonderful weekend!

A Little Fractivity To Brighten Your Day

Fractivity...

The term popped up on the Fractal Foundation's website (click here to visit) and in my new found fascination with all things fractal, it has become part of my vocabulary...fractivity - the sound of it makes me smile.

This one page free download is available on the foundation's site along with other fascinating and free resources.

Isn't it amazing to think that rivers, lightening bolts, blood vessels, even hurricanes are fractals found in nature?

And of course, TREES.  That's what I've been playing with and as promised here is a smattering of my notes about these addicting treasures to draw ~

Fractivity by Adele Bruno, CZT

Fractivity Continued, Adele Bruno, CZT

As my notes indicate, fractal trees use a repeating pattern of the same initial shape - or line configuration.  Each additional layer sprouts into the same pattern only on a smaller scale.

A tree is finished when you are pleased with its shape and size.

On another note...

A reader referred to last Thursday's post about fractals (click here to view) as my "fractal rant."  Oh!  I had such a good laugh over that, thank you.  I've calmed down a bit in the week I've had to play with them - some small consolation for lost time :)

Try your hand at some FRACTIVITY today.  

A word of caution though - it can be habit forming!

I've Been Robbed!

That's how I felt when I read Marie Browning's book Time to Tangle with Colors.  On page 38 she describes fractal trees and ferns.  Fractals?

How is it possible that I had never heard of them before?  How is it possible that I've lived this long and never came across them before?  How is is possible that I've been drawing trees for decades and I never knew of such a thing?

I've been robbed!

The only thing left to do is make up for lost time.  I've been penning fractal trees on every piece of paper within reach, showing anyone who will indulge me.  About sixty percent of the time I hear, "Yes, I love fractals - been drawing them for years."

Where have I been?!


Learning something new is very invigorating though, and fractal trees have quickly moved up on my list of favorite things to draw.

My tile du jour is a thank you to Marie for enlightening me - and for her wonderful book, too!

Adele Bruno, CZT

If you, like me, are new to this whole concept, I will post my notes about fractals along with a few more examples on Thursday.

Enjoy your weekend - and take some time to tangle!