Strange Abstractions Calendar 2021.
My new calendar arrived from the printers and I’m really excited to see the finished product. The quality of printing is excellent, with rich colours and a glossy cover.
Why did I create this calendar?
I was fed up of hearing so much doom and gloom in the news that I wanted to create something positive, fun, bright and intriguing. These images are fractal patterns created by mathematical equations and will transport you to otherwordly places.
So what is a fractal?
A fractal is a never-ending pattern, which repeats across different scales, they appear in nature and can be seen everywhere.
The next time you go for a walk through woodlands just take a look at a fern. It is intricately detailed and all the leaves are little copies of the branches. The entire fern is created by the same shape being repeated over and over at different scales. But there is always randomness and variation and no two fronds are ever identical. But natural fractals don’t stop there, they are seen in seashells, trees, snowflakes, rivers, clouds, leaves – everywhere you look.
Computer-generated fractals
Abstract fractals can be generated by a computer calculating the same equation over and over in a never-ending feedback loop. So a computer-generated fractal is a never-ending repeating pattern, which can be infinitely complex – just like the fern leaf. Some fractal patterns can appear very symmetrical and organised while others are chaotic and organic in character.
Creating a calendar using fractals
While creating this calendar I was looking for organic, chaotic and asymmetric shapes. Once I had found a composition I liked, I could change the direction of the lighting, which completely changes how the fractal looks. Changing the colours I found more of a challenge – or rather controlling the colour – it was more hit and miss but I kind of liked the randomness of it.
I love the unusual and slightly weird yet fascinating pictures that can be created through this mathematical process. Do you see a new cosmos? interesting patterns? Unexplored landscapes? I see all of those 🙂
Below are all 12 images used for the month pages in the calendar 2021
Click on the images to see them larger…
