Photographic Inspiration from a Surface Pattern Designer
These pictures were taken on holiday in Northumberland a few months ago. A compilation of shapes, shadows, lines and textures occurring from the elements. Next I will experiment with isolating shapes, and explore how they relate and contrast to one another. This will form the basis of a new surface pattern collection.
If I were to say to you, go ahead mix up red and blue, florals and geometrics, retro and vintage and it will all come together, would you relish the challenge?
Whilst designing this Red Teasel collection ( which also has hints of cool blue hues to offset to rich warm tones) I wanted to break away from an obvious genre and create something completely unique.
Retro, vintage, contemporary, edgy, classic, I love them all, and selecting one kind would be like taking a sibling away from its family. I found the solution is to try mixing up patterns in a way that would be harmonious and make a room feel complete. The pictures below show a use of delicate branch patterns put together with bold abstract teasels arranged in a retro style geometric pattern. The contemporary vivid colour palette punctuated with pops of neutral browns and whites is the thread that holds the collection together.
My message is to be positive about mixing things styles and genres and see what happens.
Innovative ideas are born when we persistently question what if?
Juxtaposed shapes to play with.
Tonal greys highlighted with with a shot of bright yellow.
Repeating patterns with subtle changes in scale and form.
Free flowing branches soften bold hard edges.
Perspective guided by thick and fine lines.
Glass reflecting light and shadow highlighting contrasts.
Inspiration can be hard to find when you actively set out to go and find it. Have you ever experienced seeing an everyday object in a completely new way? Well that happened to me this morning and instead of thinking “well that’s nice” I picked up a pen and sketchbook and began to draw…
As I started to wash up in the kitchen this morning, the stopper on the soap bottle caught my eye. I noticed a beautiful textural pattern. I began to draw the linear texture. The drawing process unveiled why it caught my eye. Whilst drawing I noticed how the texture was sometimes linear, sometimes pointed at the end or curved. The lines varied in thickness and length, the rhythms were craftily interrupted by delicate shafts of light. This stopper holds a wealth of inspiration for a whole series of new geometric patterns. My designs are created using photography, but aided by drawing. Drawing unveils the inspiration on how to create exciting patterns.
As Pantone have named green the colour of the year for 2017 I am posting a gloriously green blog about our quest for wild garlic pesto! Every Spring we venture to the blue bell woods to collect the leaves of young wild garlic flowers to make this delicious pasta pesto treat…
Here is glimpse into our morning, followed by a delicious lunch!
Spring Inspiration…
Gathering ideas from my very own garden for SS 2018.
#distractionsandinspirations
Snippets of inspiration this week…
I am looking forward to beginning a new range…
Dog walk: Pattern, texture, neutral colours, random spacing
Back Yard: Composition, texture, weathered, neutral
Music workshop in a chapel : Geometric shapes, light, transparency, layering, contemporary
A selection of shapes, patterns and texture used for design inspiration.
I almost set off without a camera in the pouring rain but look at what a wet woodland walk can offer by way of inspiration for designers, artists and photographers!
Here are a selection of pictures I took on a recent visit to India. When I design print & pattern here in the UK, I like to look at the elements of nature at work, for example light, texture, shadows and reflection. The photos below however, confirm that my bright colour palette is inherited from the motherland!
Marigold Decorations
Edge of the Meadow makes sense of two very different cultures working together in harmony.
BLOG AT EDGE OF THE MEADOW 