I LOVE creating patterns. Nature is probably the biggest inspiration for my pattern designs. My travels have taken me all over Canada and the US in the last few years. Traveling is my favorite art creation time as I am more relaxed and I bring home a full sketchbook, with a lot of new ideas and fresh energy, and I can’t wait to get working at the computer again.
This year, before my niece left her job at Apple Canada, I decided to upgrade from my trusty MacBook laptop to a 27’’ iMac, and now I feel even more energized!
These pics are of my workspace as I hand draw a set of patterns initially. Once they are complete, I scanned and digitized them. These are pen and ink (sharpies too, of course) and I love experimenting with all kinds of mediums. I have quite an array of art supplies for painting and drawing, and I photograph every beautiful flower and plant that comes my way while traveling or at home. I like printing and stamping techniques. And collage is one of my favourite studio activities.
Once on the computer, I love the magic of blend modes and content aware
commands of Adobe Photoshop and the preciseness, smoothness, tools and endless scalability of Adobe Illustrator. I am a lifelong learner and I love experimenting with new tools like the iPad and plan to upgrade to the pro model soon. I am always learning and expanding my skills by taking classes through online learning platforms and experiment and play with it to fit my style. Designing patterns feels like play, joy and creative freedom to me.
Here are the finished items I used this pattern for:
If you are interested and learning how I completed my pattern, check out my Skillshare Class Blending Traditional and Digital Approaches to Create Elegant Pattern Repeats:
Use this link to enjoy 2 free weeks of Skillshare classes