Cowrie Curves

I wanted to look a bit more at the curviness of the cowrie images, as there is something about that that particularly appeals to me. I found some images on the internet which seemed to me to relate to this....

Maryrose Watson | winner of Peter Collingwood trust fund award, 2011
from www.rugwweaver.com

This has something of the straight lines/ curved ovals contrast that appeals, as well as a subtle asymmetry and amazing innovation. 

By Ixchel Suarez from ixchel-tapestry weaver

This shows a visually interesting subversion of the usual parallel lines behind the pattern of a tapestry weave. The two of these together have certainly made me think about how I could express something of the cowrie feel in tapestry weaving. 

This is one of the ideas that came of it.

Barnacles, from pinterest Amy Thomas STW

I kept coming back to this amazing photo. It has the same quality of emphasising both the entrance to the shells and the curviness of the rest of them, but intensified by the colouring, directionality, and randomness.  This made me think that I should explore a bit more of the entrance patterns of cowries.