In 1981, printmaker and art instructor Stephanie Pogue participated in a group Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship to travel throughout India for the purpose of studying the country's architecture and sculpture. During a 1985 interview with Jacqueline Bontemps, Pogue fondly recalled her experience as the "most exciting experience I have had–one is constantly bombarded by the lift of the bright sun, exotic sights and sounds, and breathtaking vistas of ancient temples."

Upon her return to the United States, Pogue began to shift the aesthetic basis of her work from linear landscapes, figurative, and graphic compositions toward a more organic style emphasizing elements of texture, muted color, and universal motifs. Even though five years had passed since she had traveled in India, Pogue remained inspired by the seductive beauty and vitality of Indian architectural aesthetics. In 1986 she created the mixed media on paper work entitled India Pattern–Pattern of India. Pogue states that the lyrical rhythmic patterns and colors of India Pattern–Pattern of India were based upon the lotus blossom design in the marble floor of a palace she saw during her travels. Pogue's version was not meant to duplicate the image on the floor but rather to recall, through her subtle use of color, texture, and form, the muted images of the marble design under the shimmering layer of water used to cool Indian palaces during the heat of the day.  T. F.