The Flow of Dotillism

Did you know there’s this thing called Dotillism? It is like pointillism but it’s more about pattern than imagery. I heard the term a few years back when I blogged about Elspeth McLean’s painted mandala rocks and I have since heard that she is the one that coined the phrase. It is used as a categorical label for pattern-based decorative paintings made up of dots. Unlike pointillism, dotillism does not create imagery, just pattern, and, for now, it usually refers to dimensional painted dots so it’s not just a visual pattern but a tactile texture.

The dotillism piece seen here involves the time-consuming, tedious, but Zen-like process of creating a specific pattern, one small element at a time. As dreadful as that might initially sound, such processes are actually both enjoyable and rather healthy for you. This type of work can readily put you into what is referred to as a “flow state.” It works somewhat like meditation in that a flow state creates a sense of serenity, increases mental clarity, and reduces stress but it also has the advantage of enhancing concentration and increasing one’s sense of joy and accomplishment.

This plate by Maryam Khuchbarova probably took hours to create but what enjoyable hours they must have been! We often find this type of work impressive because we know what an incredible amount of time and patience must have gone into it. I, personally, find this plate even more impressive than the more common mandala dotillism because the painting is so well-balanced and the patterns have been so consistently applied, even without the central set of radiating guidelines commonly used in mandala painting.

I guess the takeaway here is that if you are looking at doing work that seems to have a time-consuming or tedious repetitive process, don’t shy away from it or dread it. Not only is that kind of work impressive, the process of creating in that way can make you feel pretty darn good!

If you like this kind of work, take a look at Maryam’s Instagram page and check out Elspeth’s work and her new book here.