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In this pattern I have drawn inspiration from my grandmother, whose name was Elsie. It is not particularly that I think of my grandmother swimming, but more for that I was looking for a good name and a character with a strong feel. I was wanting to create a swimming design in the style of the old 1940s posters of swimming ladies. I named this pattern 'Diving Elsie,' and there are four versions - each version features Elsie wearing a different colour swimsuit and each background is a different shade of blue. I have always loved watching old film footage of the synchronised swimming ladies, when it was all the rage back in the 40s - all in their rubber swimming hats. Watching the the beautiful patterns their formations would create. Ladies today and unified in design.
Elsie's pose and the overall composition of the design emulates her elegance and grace. I wanted this pattern to be a simple diving image, that when turned into a pattern repeat the multiple Elsie's would therfore mimic synchronised swimming group formations. My hope was to create a nostalgic pattern that pays homage to the synchronised swimming era whilst also holding a personal connection to my grandmother, Elsie.
Diving Elsie was created in 2021 - A Lockdown Design
Rachel Goodchild | Design Blog
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