Surface Pattern Design

It's all about the pattern (and color, oh, and flowers...I like painting flowers...)

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The Alchemy of Solstice

The Alchemy of Solstice

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Creating Layered Abstract Prints Inspired by Nature

Creating Layered Abstract Prints Inspired by Nature

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Sketchbook Small Landscape Lake

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Garden Mother with Bees

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Art Deco Inspired Architectural Birds Collection

Art Deco Inspired Architectural Birds Collection

This might be one of my favorite collections of all time. Inspired by Art Deco, with swallows because they just seem to be the most architectural birds out there.

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Holiday Gingerbread Collection

A new holiday collection featuring gingerbread men, snowflakes, and pines. This is a traditional pattern and available in seamless repeat from my Fine Art America shop.

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As seen in MIX Magazine from Colour Hive!

As seen in MIX Magazine from Colour Hive!

A few months ago, I opened an email from Marie at Colour Hive asking if I would allow the use one of my designs in a report she was preparing. I know Colour Hive is a trend forecasting company (they have AMAZING resources for designers) and naturally I said YES! I just received the screen shot and I can’t even put into words how excited I am to see my sea urchin print in Volume 65 of MIX…

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How to know what sells for you

How to know what sells for you

I thought we’d switch it up a bit and talk about the business side of art.  I’ve invested countless sleepless nights trying to decide what direction to take my art in, but the truth is when I sit down to design I really am inspired more by my imagination than by a certain aesthetic.  I tend to be a “seat of my pants” sort of artist because as I’m playing around with my designs I discover…

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Abstract Layers Floral Print Collection

Abstract Layers Floral Print Collection

Abstract flower shapes, leaves with loads of texture, and scribbles all over with a smattering of subtle dots – this collection is fashion forward and trendy.

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Hiking Frog - now I'm getting somewhere!

Hiking Frog – now I’m getting somewhere!

Yes, I’m still on my creature adventure, and this time I think I really see some improvement.  I started with a nice photo of a lightning struck tree and looked around the image for a place to situate my creature.  I decided this looks like a place where a little frog might pause in his hike to take in the view.

I did  a rough sketch of my frog (and found myself looking for “frog leg anatomy” on…

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My first creature!

I completed my first creature and I’m not mad at the result – but the point was/is to improve my skills – so I can’t expect my first attempt to be completely brilliant because I’m working on new subject matter, and actually MULTIPLE new areas are involved in this process.

Not only am I doing figure work, but the creatures don’t really exist in nature, and I’m incorporating photography into this…

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My new obsession - forest creatures

My new obsession – forest creatures

Inspired by my new art class – Aaron Blaise’s Hidden Creatures of the Forest – I have become obsessed with creating little creatures and putting them into forest environments I photographed.  It’s bad…like wakes me up at 4:00 a.m. bad.  Like gave me an art-related arm injury bad.  No kidding, I had to sleep with a heating pad because my forearm was over-stressed from drawing.  And on a daily…

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Subdued tropical colors are a fresh take on Hawaiian prints.  The main print is a Tiki Floral in a medium gray to give it a more gender neutral feel.  The abstract shapes lend a modern take and the florals are ethereal and misty.  I love this collection and it can be used in so many ways.  There’s even a placement graphic!

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Sunwashed Hawaiian Tropical Collection Subdued tropical colors are a fresh take on Hawaiian prints.  The main print is a Tiki Floral in a medium gray to give it a more gender neutral feel. 

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My Summer Art Class

My Summer Art Class

Every summer I try to take an art class that is different from what I do every day as a pattern designer.  Recently, I’ve been looking a lot at illustration, and I have a few illustrators whose work I adore – but I am so not an illustrator.  I am a painter – and I see illustration as having a level of complexity and precision that I just don’t have in my art.  Scrolling through Instagram I came…

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Woodcut Roses

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Cleaning up my "orphan" print files

Cleaning up my “orphan” print files

I like to design in collections – it brings cohesion to my portfolio and allows me to fully explore a concept or technique before I move on to a new project.  Collections give me multiple options for my customers and allows me the freedom to experiment with colors and layouts without reinventing the wheel.

But not all of my prints fit well with a collection and since I’m prone to wandering…

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How to create an Instagram Puzzle

How to create an Instagram Puzzle

I’m stupidly excited that I managed to create my first Instagram puzzle.  I’ve seen the accounts that use these and I think they’re so cool – but I thought it would be super hard to do it, so I just let it slide until tonight.  I saw someone posting that they’d sell you the templates and instructions to do this – but I realized that with Canva, I could probably work out my own method to build one.

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