the winter of the iguana

We are under cold weather advisory tonight and this is what our winter has been like as of late:

From left to right: 1-Our drive to school during the first hour of a snow storm. 2-Our driveway after said storm. 3-A stroll down our street captured the beauty of what the storm left behind.

As the winter seems to linger on, and on, the promise of warmer, snow-free days to come have me yearning for summer, which immediately brings to mind iguanas. Why? Simply because last summer, while visiting the Yucatán peninsula, we kept stumbling upon them everywhere! From the hotel grounds, to the sidewalks to the ruins in Chichén Itzá. The reptiles were completely unaffected by our presence, showcasing a remarkable capacity to contently bask under the sun for hours on end. Then again, what else are you going to do if you happen to be an iguana?

A majestic iguana in Chichén Itzá. Photo credit, EC.

Later that summer at the Hall of Bones in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C., we came across the skeleton of an iguana, which allowed a close examination.

Thereafter, I could not stop thinking about Timorous Beasties, a Glasgow design studio well known for its self-described "surreal and provocative textiles and wallpapers". The phrases original artwork and trend setters can only start to describe what this Scottish atelier's brilliant body of work is all about. After learning more about iguanas (by mere observation), it was easy to understand how and why Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, the creative forces behind the studio, may have been inspired to create their incredible iguana pattern.

©Timorous Beasties, Iguana.

At some point they had to follow the great tradition of excellence in the creative process (think Mondrian, think Glaser) and became one with their subject matter, in this particular instance, they became one with the iguana. This is what art and design of the highest order is all about, the artist/designer has to be knowledgeable and passionate about the project at hand, Picasso and his Guernica immediately come to mind.
In the world of textile design this happens mainly due to the extensive research and sketching/drawing that takes place during the ideation process, resulting in conceptually strong, well-informed, very successful designs. When visiting Toronto, while imparting a seminar at Harbourfront Centre (back in 2010), Alistair elaborated precisely on this particular matter and illustrated the point by showing us a plethora of drawings and rough sketches he had recently been working on in his sketchbook.
The moral of the story: Inform your work, be prolific, edit.
Now, if you will excuse me, I will proceed to follow my own advice.
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The V&A has a brief and fabulous video interview with Timorous Beasties. Click here to watch it.