Kantpatroon voor een kleed van kloskant met goudenregentakken en -bloemen c. 1912

Louise Wilhelmina van der Meulen-Nulle made this lace pattern design using ink on paper. Looking at it, I’m struck by the contrast between the geometric under-grid of tiny dots and the more free-flowing botanical forms. I can imagine her at her desk, carefully plotting out the structure, then letting the leaves and flowers branch out with a more organic rhythm. There’s something so patient about this kind of work, each dot a tiny decision, each line a gentle exploration. The precision required for this craft reminds me of the patience involved in rendering. But instead of threads, my paint piles up like clumsy and unruly mounds, a world away from the subtle delicacy Van der Meulen-Nulle was aiming for. But both painting and lacemaking are about building something intricate, stitch by stitch, mark by mark. Thinking slowly, changing your mind as you go.