Math and Art Collide with Tessellations

I love art, and math has one such art form that draws my attention.  It is called tessellation.  The patterns tessellation can create are most recognizable in quilts, but there are many ways to use them in real life.  Another recognizable use of tessellations is in floor tiles.  Below is an example of a beautiful quilt.

Basic tessellations are designed with a few basic rules:
1.  Each piece must be a regular polygon.
2.  Each vertex must be the same.
(Remember, this is a basic design, not a technical one.)
3.  The total of the vertex points must total 360 degrees exactly.
Squares work.  There are many shapes that tessellate alone or in combination with other shapes.

Print out your own sheet and create a fun color combination.  Here, see how triangles and hexagons work together to create tessellations?

My oldest son has a book about the Dutch artist, M.C. Escher.  His pieces of this art are so amazing and mesmerizing.  Here is one of them:

This is called "Horseman"

Another is entitled "Lizard":

If you would like to watch a video on how to create your own tessellation in the style of Escher, check out this video: