Circles.  I have always loved circles.  As a young child I drew them in the sand at the beach and in muddy soil in my backyard.  I drew them with chalk on the street in front of my house and doodled them in English class–around and around and around, hypnotically making circles within circles, different sizes, but always the same shape.

No matter where I was—the beach, the sidewalk, or a parking lot—if I happened to spy a pebble that looked like a perfect circle, I’d stoop down, scoop it up, and put it in my pocket.  I still do this, I might add.  I especially love rocks worn smooth by the tumbling action of waves upon sand.  Their smooth, rounded perfection calls to me. Once nestled in the deepest part of my pocket, it is mine–a treasure waiting to soothe weary fingertips.

It is said that it is impossible to draw a perfect circle freehand–unless you are Giotto di Bondone.  He was an Italian artist from the early fourteenth century who broke from the artistic tradition of his time and painted realistic forms exactly as they appear in nature. The story of Giotto’s circle—the perfect, red O he painted when asked to give a sample of his work  to the Pope—is legendary in the world of visual art.

“Pope Benedict lX wanted to commission some paintings for St. Peter’s and so he sent a courtier around to find the best painter in Italy. The courtier asked all the artists to give him a sample of their work to send to the Pope. He came to Giotto’s workshop, explained his mission, and asked him for a drawing which would give the Pope some idea of his competence and style. “Sure,” said Giotto; and he laid down a sheet of paper, reached for a brush dipped in red paint, closed his arm to his side to make a sort of compass of it, and in one even sweep scribed a perfect circle. “There you are,” he told the courtier, handing it to him with a smile.

“That’s your drawing?” asked the courtier, who didn’t know whether Giotto was pulling his leg. “Is that all you’re going to send His Holiness?” “That’s more than enough,” said Giotto. “Send it with your other drawings and see whether it’s understood or not.” The Pope’s messenger took the drawing and went away trying to hold his temper. Did that little painter think he was a fool? When he got back to Rome he showed the Pope the big O and told him how Giotto had scribed it—freehand, without a compass. The pope and his advisers DID understand the achievement of that O and gave Giotto the commission.” (http://theorbitbrown.com/site/chris-orbit-brown)

Because a circle may be drawn from beginning to end without a break, it is a powerful symbol and the most common and universal sign found in all cultures.  It represents completeness and eternity. Ancient cultures believed that circles were sacred signs, symbolizing life, the seasons, the stars, planets, sun, and moon.  To this day the circle symbolizes the unending nature of love itself.

Circles are always with us. Our eyes—the windows of the soul, some say—have circular irises and pupils that invite just the right amount of light within to secure proper vision. Blood cells, transporters of life-giving nutrients, resemble circles under a microscope. Our arms, legs, and necks are built to accommodate circular motion. Our arms can encircle lover or child, offering comfort, protection, and promise. Our lips, where love begins with words and kisses, and our breasts, where new life is nourished, are soft and rounded and circular.  They are inviting and soothing to the touch.

I have always loved circles.