Quilled Nautical Compass Design

So, as many may be aware I have been doing less oil painting and more paper quilling, especially this year since I set a goal for myself to create at least one quilled piece each month.

"Nautical Compass", Copyright Margaurita Spear, Mar. 2012. 4.5" square. This is the compass inside its wooden display box. The hinged box is unfinished wood with a viewing window. The box brings the total dimensions to 6" square and about 2" deep.

 
This latest design is inspired by a nautical compass and was created to submit to an art show opening this Thursday at the Bear Gallery in Beverly, MA (Bear Gallery, Maritime Exhibit). The exhibit is a collaboration between the gallery and the Beverly Historical Society. This is the first time I have actually started with a literal design idea and not let the design develop on its own. I looked at several images of nautical compasses online and chose elements that I wanted to include. I began with the directional points and ended with them as well (the finishing touch was adding gold paint to the edges of the white paper of the letters). I tried to mimic the idea of wood grain, but not so literally. I also stuck to what I perceive to be a nautical palette for the colors.

 "Nautical Compass" viewed without the box, giving a better view of its edges and details.

Now, the question may be why a compass and not a ship, etc. Well, truthfully I love to look at the ocean in person and I appreciate the art of those who choose to paint seascapes, but seascapes and landscapes are just not my thing. I am much more interested in creating images of objects because I feel like some objects embody stories. Besides which I don't think any painting or work of art can truly express the beauty of nature as much as the real thing can. So I chose a compass. It is an object and it keeps with my love of circles and my recent obsession with rotational symmetry.