What started as individual studies to appreciate the beauty of microscopic patterns found in the forms of the rocks, shells and leaves slowly evolved into frame-by-frame motion that the designer made with the stencil-based printer. Creating the animations with Risograph was a very hands on process, just like foraging for these close-up snippets of nature’s forms. But the printer’s natural imperfections (mis-registeration or visible half tones) only imbued the works with more charm: “The bright colours begin to abstract the images, so you notice the shapes and patterns before identifying the objects themselves,” she says.
In the designer’s field guide, Wreck This Journal, there are prints of Valeria’s found patterns and instructional prompts such as “Go outside and find texture” or “Look at what is by your feet. Now look at what is above your head. Write a short conversation between these two things.” The design of the book lends itself to a slow pace: “with only one idea per spread so your attention is just on one thing until you decide to flip the page, the publication deliberately leaves room to think,” the designer shares. Each exercise stands as a thoughtful activity to “get your brain out of its normal rhythm”.
The project’s message? Inspiration is right under your nose. “We don’t need to constantly look for something new to excite or motivate us. But the most intricate beauty is inherent in the natural world and in our everyday surroundings. Instead, we should simply look in new ways at what already is. Pay closer attention… That’s something I have to remind myself of a lot!” the designer ends. “So really, this project was me making something I needed, but now I get to share it with other people and hope they get inspiration out of it too.”