Exquisite Endless Pattern
Here is a pattern game that you can play by yourself or with others. I made up this variation by combining two classic games, Exquisite Corpse and Endless Landscape.
Starting with a simple template, you can create multiple squares that will fit together in any configuration. Continue your design ad infinitum. It’s a pattern that is also not a pattern: The template itself is the repeating pattern, but the designs you make on each square are varied. Unique pieces will always form a cohesive composition, yet they can be endlessly reconfigured, rotated, or removed. Add as many pieces as you like, creating an emergent, ever-shifting design.
Begin with 12 blank squares of the same size to create the templates for your designs. Use something stiff, like cardstock or matboard. On each side of each square, create guide marks like so:
Each design you create must connect to the edges through the guide marks on all four sides.
If you want to vary the placement of the guides, be sure that all four sides have guide marks in the same place.
Here are some design examples:
Experiment with different media and color choices. Use paint, marker, collage, or whatever!
Enlarge it to cover a wall or keep a set in your bag to use while you’re waiting for…your plane…your food…your enlightenment….
It’s a simple idea that can produce fascinating results.