Autumn Leaves with kaleidoscopic mirror symmetry.

A flock of birds in the Illinois skies

The University of Illinois in Springfield has many trees that show good fall color.

Trees on the UIS campus.

Looking up from the Colonnade toward my office in Brookens Hall, with a maple tree showing its color.

The University of Illinois Springfield campus has good color in late October and early November

The decaying old barn at this farm can be seen just east of I-55 in Illinois between Litchfield and Mt. Olive.

Our neighbor down the street has a ginko tree that looks like this around November 6th.

Our Asian pear tree has a lovely color in early November. It is yellow in October, and goes into orange and reds in November.

We have this maple tree in our front yard, which has this sort of color in its leaves on November 1st

Grass at the Homestead rest area on I-55 in Illinois ( November )

This is the top of the silver maple in our backyard.

These are sweetgum leaves on a tree along our street.

This is the view I have as I leave my driveway and begin my bike ride to my office on the UIS campus.

Rain changes the look of these maple leaves in our front yard

Maple leaves in the rain

A symmetrical pattern using mirror effects to create a kaleidoscopic pattern, with layer blending to smooth out the pattern and make it more abstract.

One pattern rotated and laid at a 90° angle over itself with 50% opacity on the top level gives symmetrical patterns like these..

Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things.

A pattern made from leaves. My eternity is My creation, I have created it for thee

A pattern made from leaves. It is as though I discovered that the chain of being was set in motion by Her footfalls.

A pattern made from leaves. "Hast Thou a mother to bemoan Thy tribulations?"

 "Hast Thou a sister, to weep at Thy fate, or a helper, to aid Thee in Thy trial and to give Thee company in Thy loneliness?"

On account of Our Rapture the Sprinkling of the Cloud of Unknowing raineth down;
The Mystery of Fidelity poureth forth from Our Melody.

As though the sunbeams of Her beauty's glow
    appeared and dazzled planets from afar.

A pattern made from leaves I collected in our backyard in October of 2020.

In Thee is veiled meaning beyond knowledge
    that even radiant minds never knew.

It is needful for the bough to blossom, and leaf and fruit to flourish, and upon the interconnection of all parts of the world-tree, dependeth the flourishing of leaf and blossom, and the sweetness of the fruit.

Such is the state of the wayfarers in this valley, but the people of the valleys above this see the end and the beginning as one. Nay, they see neither “beginning” nor “end” and witness neither “first” nor “last”.

Although it shineth with the same radiance upon all existence, and at the behest of the Lord of Revelation bestoweth light on all things, yet in each place it becometh manifest and sheddeth its bounty according to the potentialities of that place. For instance, in a mirror it reflecteth its own disk and shape, and this is due to the clarity of the mirror itself; through a crystal it maketh fire to appear; and in other things it showeth only the effect of its shining, but not its full disk. And yet, through that effect, by the command of the Creator it traineth each thing according to the capacity of that thing, even as thou dost observe.

In like manner, colours become visible in each object according to its nature. For instance, in a yellow glass the rays shine yellow; in a white glass they are white; and in a red glass red rays are visible. These variations proceed from the object itself, not from the light. And if a place be shut away from the light, as by walls and a roof, it will be entirely bereft of the light of the sun and deprived of its rays.

Sometimes instead of scanning leaves, you can make an interesting photograph of leaves on a tree to create one of these kaleidoscopic images. The fact that some leaves are in focus and other are not gives the pattern an interesting look.

when thou dost strip the veils of illusion from the face of thine heart, the lights of Oneness will be made manifest.

A basic repeating pattern made with red maple leaves.

The basic leaf pattern now has an overlay over it that is larger, so the pattern has some subtle differences.

This is one of my favorite patterns. It just came out particularly well. I made this from some leaves in October 2020.

Although, to outward seeming, the wayfarers in this valley may dwell upon the dust, yet inwardly they are throned in the heights of mystic meaning; they partake of the eternal bounties of heaven and drink of the delicate wines of the spirit.

O friend, the heart is the dwelling-place of eternal mysteries: Make it not the home of fleeting fancies. Waste not the treasure of thy precious life occupied with this swiftly passing world. Thou comest from the world of holiness: Bind not thine heart to the earth. Thou art a dweller in the court of reunion: Choose not the homeland of the dust.

Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee, Whose knowledge embraceth all created things. Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this virtue in accordance with the Tablet of Thy decree and the Scriptures of Thine irrevocable judgment. Every leaf of these Books and Scriptures Thou hast, moreover, allotted to each one of the peoples and kindreds of the earth.

Rain down, then, upon us, O my God, that which beseemeth Thy grace and befitteth Thy bounty. Enable us, then, O my God, to live in remembrance of Thee and to die in love of Thee, and supply us with the gift of Thy presence in Thy worlds hereafter—worlds which are inscrutable to all except Thee.

Behold Thou mine eye expectant to gaze on the wonders of Thy mercy, and mine ear longing to hearken unto Thy sweet melodies, and my heart yearning for the living waters of Thy knowledge. 

No thought of Thee, howsoever wondrous, can ever ascend into the heaven of Thy knowledge, and no praise of Thee, no matter how transcendent, can soar up to the atmosphere of Thy wisdom.

I cut out a part of a pattern made from a photograph of a bush with some nice red and pink leaves, and for a backdrop, I use the a typical scanned leaves pattern with more orange colors.

In this pattern I have placed a circular cropped image from another pattern over this one, with a large circle of fall leaf red color between the two patterns.

A circular image cut from one work is pasted over the center of another work for this pattern.

A circle pattern made in 2020.

A pattern made from leaves scanned at a high resolution.

A pattern made from photographs of leaves on the trees (not scanned leaves).

This is, I think, a very fine pattern.

This pattern uses dogwood leaves (a photograph of a dogwood tree). The nine-pointed star is a Bahá’í symbol. I have used short phrases from various Bahá’í sources as captions on this page.

I swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who art the Beloved of my soul and the Fountain of my life! I am persuaded of my powerlessness to describe and extol Thee in a manner that becometh the greatness of Thy glory and the excellence of Thy majesty.

This is a photograph of a maple tree in the distance, manipulated to create a leafy pattern.

This is a the distant maple tree pattern with the same pattern turned 90° and overlaid at 50% opacity. It has colors similar to the patterns made with scans, but the leaves here are far away, and not being used in magnified images.

Another pattern made from a photograph of a distant maple tree.

For this one I cut out a pattern from one design, and laid it over a circular cut-out of another design, and then used a sphere lens distortion. The leaves in the original photograph were not in sharp focus, and that gives the pattern a softer look.

This is the first in a series of patterns I made from scanned leaves I collected off the ground our yard in 2019.

This is the second in a series of patterns I made from scanned leaves I collected off the ground our yard in 2019. I've cropped squares around the center patterns and made a tile sort of mosaic.

This is the third in a series of patterns using square tiles I made from scanned leaves I collected off the ground our yard in 2019

This is the fifth in a series of patterns I made from scanned leaves I collected off the ground our yard in 2019

This is the sixth in a series of patterns I made from scanned leaves I collected off the ground our yard in 2019

Wert Thou to bestow on one of Thy creatures what would equal the kingdoms of earth and heaven, it would still not diminish by even as much as an atom the immensity of Thy dominion. Far greater art Thou than the Great One men are wont to call Thee, for such a title is but one of Thy names all of which were created by a mere indication of Thy will.

The quintessence of knowledge, O my Lord, proclaimeth its powerlessness to know Thee, and perplexity, in its very soul, confesseth its bewilderment in the face of the revelations of Thy sovereign might, and remembrance, in its inmost spirit, acknowledgeth its forgetfulness and effacement before the manifestations of Thy signs and the evidences of Thy praise.

I give Thee thanks inasmuch as Thou hast called me into being in Thy days, and infused into me Thy love and Thy knowledge. 

This is the second of many leaf patterns I made from scanned leaves in 2017. You can still clearly see the leaves in this design.

This is the third of many leaf patterns I made from scanned leaves in 2017.

This is the fourth of many leaf patterns I made from scanned leaves in 2017.

This is the fifth of many leaf patterns I made from scanned leaves in 2017.

This is the sixth of many leaf patterns I made from scanned leaves in 2017. It uses a very high resolution scan.

This is the eighth of many leaf patterns I made from scanned leaves in 2017. It is a very high resolution image.

I made a lot of patterns in 2017, and this is another one of them.

Purify, O my God, the hearts of Thy creatures with the power of Thy sovereignty and might, that Thy words may sink deep into them.

Remove the veil from mine eyes, O my Lord, that I may recognize what Thou hast desired for Thy creatures, and discover, in all the manifestations of Thy handiwork, the revelations of Thine almighty power. 

Thou art the One, O my God, through Whose names the sick are healed and the ailing are restored, and the thirsty are given drink, and the sore-vexed are tranquilized, and the wayward are guided, and the abased are exalted, and the poor are enriched, and the ignorant are enlightened, and the gloomy are illumined, and the sorrowful are cheered, and the chilled are warmed, and the downtrodden are raised up.

I testify that no description by any created thing can ever reveal Thee, and no praise which any being is able to utter can express Thee. Neither the comprehension of any one in the whole world, nor the intelligence of any of its peoples, can, as it befitteth Thee, gain admittance into the court of Thy holiness, or unravel Thy mystery.

This is another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 10th of that year’s series.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 11th of that year’s series.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 12th of that year’s series.

This was the 13th pattern from 2017, and I believe it was my favorite of that year.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 14th of that year’s series. It is a very high resolution image.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 16th of that year’s series. It is one of the best ones from that year, I think.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 17th of that year’s series.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 18th of that year’s series.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 19th of that year’s series.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 20th of that year’s series.

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 21st of that year’s series.

This overlay design from 2020 uses two patterns of different sizes.

A pattern made from stripes of various leaf patterns.

A pattern made from leaves in tile forms in alternating directions.

A pattern made from leaves in which the original leaf shapes are still very clear.

When the square tiles are turned at 90° and placed together you can get some interesting shapes where the corners come together.

From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity give me to drink, O my God, and of the fruits of the tree of Thy being enable me to taste, O my Hope! From the crystal springs of Thy love suffer me to quaff, O my Glory, and beneath the shadow of Thine everlasting providence let me abide, O my Light! 

Another pattern from 2017 leaves, this one being the 15th of that year’s series. It uses the pattern that was the 14th one of that year in tiles with alternating orientations.

This is the fourth in a series of patterns I made from scanned leaves I collected off the ground our yard in 2019.

Within the meadows of Thy nearness, before Thy presence, make me able to roam, O my Beloved, and at the right hand of the throne of Thy mercy, seat me, O my Desire! From the fragrant breezes of Thy joy let a breath pass over me, O my Goal, and into the heights of the paradise of Thy reality let me gain admission, O my Adored One!

This image has a collection of tiles from different patterns put together. I do not really like the overall impression, but I do like to look at all the different patterns.

A traced pattern from one of the kaleidoscopic images put over a dark green background (2020).

Sometimes I trace out a pattern I like in one of these designs, crop it out, and paste it over a different background.

This design from 2020 is made from overlays of images of leaves in a tree. It is quite different from the patterns made with scans of leaves.

This simple pattern is from a photograph of the yllow leaves of our Asian pear tree.

More fun with the yellows in the leaves of our Asian pear tree.

Pattern made in 2020 from a photography of leaves on our Asian pear tree.

A bush with nice red leaves gets a mix of dark reds and pinks created by sunlight and shade in the photograph.

Close up of a pattern made from photographs of leaves on a bush.

To the melodies of the dove of Thy oneness suffer me to hearken, O Resplendent One, and through the spirit of Thy power and Thy might quicken me, O my Provider! In the spirit of Thy love keep me steadfast, O my Succorer, and in the path of Thy good pleasure set firm my steps, O my Maker! 

Within the garden of Thine immortality, before Thy countenance, let me abide for ever, O Thou Who art merciful unto me, and upon the seat of Thy glory stablish me, O Thou Who art my Possessor!

To the heaven of Thy loving-kindness lift me up, O my Quickener, and unto the Daystar of Thy guidance lead me, O Thou my Attractor! Before the revelations of Thine invisible spirit summon me to be present, O Thou Who art my Origin and my Highest Wish, and unto the essence of the fragrance of Thy beauty, which Thou wilt manifest, cause me to return, O Thou Who art my God!

A 2020 pattern featuring a maple tree with light shining through the leaves.

A 2020 pattern featuring a maple tree from our yard with light shining through the leaves.

This is a pattern with tiles from 2020, using photographs of leaves with backlit colors.

Another 2020 image, this one is sort of a close-up view of the previous pattern.

This is the 3rd of the 2020 patterns made from photographs of leaves on trees in our yard

One of the patterns from 2020 based on photographs of leaves in the backyard; this one is an elaboration of the third 2020 design.

This is another pattern from photographs of leaves. It seems to have a stained glass resemblance, probably because the colors are filtered light shining through the leaves.

This is the 4th of the 2020 patterns made from photographs of leaves on trees in our yard. Up close you can make out some of the leaf shapes quite clearly, but they sort of vanish into the tiny detail at the larger scale.

A tree photograph pattern from 2020, based on a modification of the previous pattern.

A tree leaf photograph pattern from 2020, in which a pattern has been rotated 90° and overlaid with 50% opacity over itself to create greater symmetry.

Another tree photograph design from 2020. Twigs and stems help create lines in the pattern.

A tree photograph pattern from 2020, and I like the colors in this one.

I have risen this morning by Thy grace, O my God, and left my home trusting wholly in Thee, and committing myself to Thy care. Send down, then, upon me, out of the heaven of Thy mercy, a blessing from Thy side, and enable me to return home in safety even as Thou didst enable me to set out under Thy protection with my thoughts fixed steadfastly upon Thee.

This design is related to the one that follows it.

This is the 5th of the 2020 patterns made from photographs of leaves on trees in our yard. This preview image is quite close-up.