Blogging Day, Fractals, and No Books in Store

A few weeks ago, I created a schedule of activities so that I wouldn't get burnt out. However, I only seem to view the schedule once a week. I don't even have the thing posted in clear view. I must do better. Anyway, on the schedule, I dedicated Tuesdays and Thursdays as my blogging days.

Today is Thursday; therefore, I must blog. Not too sure of what to say at the moment. I don't want to force anything. {tapping fingers on the desk and pondering...}

{still thinking...}

Okay, I can tell you about my bookstore trips. I went to Borders and Barnes and Noble this week. Wow! I did my fave things of course--perused the art section. One thing I noticed is that the art sections do not have books about gemotrical and fractal art. Yes, these are mathematical concepts, but there are a good number of artists in this world that have found pleaseure in showcasing the beauty of patterns and fractals.

While in both stores, I did a search at the customer lookup station to find books on fractals and fractal art. Unfortunately, most of the search results were not available in stores. This sucks. I want to find books in stores that relate the artistic side of creating fractals. The one or two books I did find were in Mathematics/Science (not surprised). These books that were available discussed historical accounts of fractals, mainly the Mandelbrot set. Additionally, some content went in depth about the world of fractals in nature and math concepts.

If you don't know what fractals are, then let me break it down. In geometry, we as students are exposed to the basic shapes of circle, square, triangle, etc. In nature, however, there is more to design than these basic concepts. Take for instance, a fern leaf's design is quite simplistic at first sight. Hidden beyond the naked eye is a continuous pattern of shapes. These shapes are unique and consist of more than what we know in basic geometry terms. This continuous/iteration of pattern is called a fractal.

Currently, there are various computer programs available for students, scientists, mathematicians, artists, and other individuals to become exposed to fractals. Through various change in formulae, zooming, positioning, and other manipulations, a basic Mandelbrot fractal (one of the most popular forms) can be changed drastically.

I use fractals as my medium for most pieces. Each one is different and amazing. I just wish there was more exposure for the fractalist/fractal artist. It's a great thing what we can do. See below the before and after results of one my transformations.