Kantpatroon voor een kleed van kloskant met goudenregentakken en -bloemen c. 1912

This lace pattern design with golden rain branches and flowers was made by Louise Wilhelmina van der Meulen-Nulle. I can imagine Louise carefully plotting the lines for this lace pattern. Can’t you just picture her at her desk, pencil in hand, thinking about the interplay of solid shapes and empty space that this lace will create? When you make a painting, the first mark is always so important. It’s a commitment. It starts a conversation between you and the surface. With this drawing, I imagine each little dot and line was a kind of decision, a conversation about ornament. The composition feels both decorative and very carefully considered. Artists throughout time have looked at patterns, structures, and systems – and they continue to inspire each other’s creativity. Every mark, every decision, is a continuation of that conversation.