For this pattern I was inspired by a legendary figure in British folklore.

As an adult, she married Toby Shipton, rumoured to be under her spell, and briefly rejoined society as a fortune-teller; known for her crooked form, fearsome face, and remarkable intellect. After Toby's sudden death, which some blamed on her, she withdrew once more to the woods, where her herbal knowledge and prophetic gifts attracted those seeking aid. It was in her later years that her most famous prophecies emerged, including visions of the telegraph and the Great Fire of London.

Ursula Southeil, known latterly as Mother Shipton, was a 15th-century soothsayer and prophetess from North Yorkshire, born in a cave in Knaresborough to a destitute young woman called Agatha. Locals accused Agatha of being a witch and Ursula a devils child. Because of this, mother and daughter lived in isolation in the woods until they were separated by the Abbot of Beverley. Taking notice of their situation, he sent Agatha to a convent, where she later died, and placed young Ursula in the care of one of a local family. Her childhood was fabled as an unusual one; stories of bewitching several neighbours to dance in circles and suspending herself in a cradle up a chimney, among many others.

Inspired by Mother Shipton’s story, through my art I’ve been exploring the mysticism surrounding predictions of the future and memories of our past, how the two often entwine with one another, making them inseparable over time.

The intricate lattice of the pattern presents an idea that the past is often interwoven with myth as we look back on it. Some of the forms seen in this design almost resemble a body or, when turned another way, a plant or animal. In this way I wanted the pattern to act as subjective, akin to the acts of looking into a crystal ball or reading tea leaves - the form is up to interpretation.