Ernst Haeckel is the man.

Ernst Haeckel is firstly a biologist and secondly an artist. His 100 plates were first published in 1904 as Kunstformen der Natur, and much later translated into English and published as Art Forms in Nature. Not only are the shapes and colors of these images absolutely stunning, but it truly baffles me how precisely Ernst drew these forms, and more importantly how beautiful the natural world is. And oh, the symmetry! Mark my word. I will be creating textiles inspired by all of Ernst Haeckel's images.