Surface Pattern Design
I am exploring using my art work in a totally different way - creating repeating patterns. I hope to take many sketches out of my sketchbooks and give them another life as patterns for stationery or wallpaper or fabric. I'll share a few of my explorations here.
These are works in progress but will eventually be available on Spoonflower or other print-on-demand locations. I have some ideas for scarves and fabrics made from my colour swatches and mixing charts that I have wanted to create for years and am finally learning how to do them 🙂
These are works in progress but will eventually be available on Spoonflower or other print-on-demand locations. I have some ideas for scarves and fabrics made from my colour swatches and mixing charts that I have wanted to create for years and am finally learning how to do them 🙂
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This is a half-drop pattern based on peonies and tulips, taken from the painting at the top of this page! I see it as dress fabric. I guess it could also be wall-paper. I'll create some variations using tossed flowers in a far more random arrangement to created some non-directional patterns that would be more suitable for quilting. The process is time-consuming but rather fascinating and I'm exploring Illustrator, Procreate and many digital techniques that are way out of my very analog comfort zone. I still use a paper diary and a fountain pen and am far more comfortable with a pencil than a stylus. However that 'undo' button is very useful! I've shown three very obvious backgrounds here but have also explored greens and yellows. So far I haven't tried changing the colour of the original motif. |
Gymea Lily
This looks very much like wallpaper to me. They are one of my favourite flowers - the Gymea Lily. These massive flowers, endemic to Gymea in Sydney, deserve to be large. I plan to do more with these flowers, though perhaps with a watercolour flower rather than this pen and ink version which created massive vector files.
Harvest Joy
I really love the harvest produce from the norther hemisphere and am creating a huge collection of patterns on this theme. I plan to have a number of themes within the theme. The first is based on turban squash (my favourite) and white pumpkin.
Other sub-themes will be Leaves and Curly Squash. I plan to do each pattern in 3 colour-ways. The first is a 'milk' colour - a cool off-white. It may also include some sage backgrounds. The second is more of a cream, but includes some double cream or even triple cream backgrounds. The third is a darker green. These represent the various times of day - dawn/morning (Milk and sage), midday (Cream and double cream), and evening (deep green). Some patterns will also be scaled up or down in size. All are based around a Fall/Autumn colour scheme and the idea of cool in the shade, warm in the sun. However I don't see this collection as being just for one season. I aim to make the patterns more universal than that, and all intermixable.
Other sub-themes will be Leaves and Curly Squash. I plan to do each pattern in 3 colour-ways. The first is a 'milk' colour - a cool off-white. It may also include some sage backgrounds. The second is more of a cream, but includes some double cream or even triple cream backgrounds. The third is a darker green. These represent the various times of day - dawn/morning (Milk and sage), midday (Cream and double cream), and evening (deep green). Some patterns will also be scaled up or down in size. All are based around a Fall/Autumn colour scheme and the idea of cool in the shade, warm in the sun. However I don't see this collection as being just for one season. I aim to make the patterns more universal than that, and all intermixable.
Turban Squash and White Pumpkin - 'Turban and Moon'
 Detail of a watercolour painting of Turban squash - watercolour.
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This is part of a much larger painting of Turban Squash, along with a range of other harvest vegetables in a roadside store. I just love these! The colours are amazing and the textures, contrasts and shapes are fabulous. I've used these to create some really complex patterns that probably would like to live in a kitchen, although fabric for clothing would be delightful.
This line drawing of the same subject was a nightmare to turn into a repeating pattern. It would be fun on a notebook as well as for fabric.
This line drawing of the same subject was a nightmare to turn into a repeating pattern. It would be fun on a notebook as well as for fabric.
'Turban and Moon' - Milk and Sage). The theme for these is dawn or morning - Cool in the Shade
Turban and Moon - Cream with deeper double and triple cream tones. The idea of these is midday - Warm in the Sun
Turban and Moon in deep green. The idea of these is evening or night - Mystery of the Evening. Lots to add here as I've been exploring the lighter backgrounds first.
Curly Squash
This is another exploration. Starting with a single painting of a curly squash, and exploring the amazing shapes that are created when you mirror and flip the one motif. Scale also comes into play too. When reduced you really see the circles, when enlarged you see the squash. I think these would be amazing turned into square designs for silk scarves. Colours still to be refines further.
This is another exploration. Starting with a single painting of a curly squash, and exploring the amazing shapes that are created when you mirror and flip the one motif. Scale also comes into play too. When reduced you really see the circles, when enlarged you see the squash. I think these would be amazing turned into square designs for silk scarves. Colours still to be refines further.
Pebbles and stones
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This is a massive file even with limited colours. It was a nightmare to get it to repeat but it is strangely satisfying when it finally does! I think this one would be fun for wall-paper or stationery. It seems to want to live in a study. The neutral colours would also be great as feature cushions. |
Other themes I plan to work on are
- stationery items using all the drawings and paintings I have created of my pens, pencils and drawing tools.
- penguins - so many gorgeous options for those birds
- orchids, using the many studies I have in my sketchbooks
- colour swatches using the thousands of swatches I have created. These will need to be printed digitally to keep all the colour variation.
- colour mixing charts - these will also need to be printed digitally
- magnolia flowers and other flowers collections - bird of paradise, roses and so on.