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I was super excited to receive my first samples from Spoonflower this week.

I also had a lot of fun learning how to adjust colour pallets in Adobe Illustrator, and created some more delicate patterns.

Yesterday I made a major step forward towards seeing my patterns on actual products. It’s been just 6 weeks since I started from scratch with learning how to create patterns on Adobe Illustrator. So far I’ve produced around 26 patterns, including the ones I’ve just recoloured. My absolute favourite in this Gum Blossom print on the sports shorts. Gradually I am seeing a style and your pallet emerging. Yesterday though I discovered Art of Where. A company that does DropShipping. A word I had never come across. Basically they will print my patterns onto products and I can display them in my Etsy shop. So costumers can order them before they are actually made. I’m planning on getting some samples to check the quality, of course.

Now back to making patterns!

It’s been two years since I wrote a blog entry! That’s shocking, but I think it’s taken me that long to start getting to grips with what I really love doing creatively. It’s difficult for me to write a blog. It seems too self indulgent and like blowing my own trumpet. But if that what needs to be done to be part of a creative community and promote my work then I’m going to get into it. And I’ve got work I want to shout about now. I have discover surface pattern design and I love it!

Here’s just a small selection. I’ve opened a Redbubble shop and discovered Spoonflower and Weave Up. It’s certainly related to my children’s book illustration work and all the years of drawing has really helped, but this is what gets me out of bed at the moment.

It started with doing an amazing online course with Bonnie Christine on Creative Live. It was set at exactly the right pace and I learnt a massive amount about using Adobe Illustrator to create surface patterns. And now I can’t stop!

I have been thoroughly enjoying teaching a group of very talented young people at Oak Hill Gallery. Last week we ventured into the community rose garden for some observational sketching. I was really impressed with the level of focus and commitment and I’m really looking forward to seeing more.

 

The 52 Week Illustration Challenge is a beautiful community of people. They give a word a week for illustrators to respond to and post on their FB page. I used to do this through ‘Illustration Friday’ but somehow this community has a more personal feel, probably because it’s managed locally so I know some of the admin and contributors. They’ve just kicked off the new year. I’m hoping to keep up with it each week, so I won’t be doing pop-ups, although I love them they take up too much time.Fancy Dress

Outdoors

I have really been enjoying working on this next book. I wanted to approach this one differently, a softer approach to show the closeness of the family members.

This book will be available form ‘Empowering Resources’ later this year

I was delighted to receive this unexpected parcel of advance copies this morning. This book has been out for a while and I illustrated it ages ago, but Hachette have brought it out in a board book. It’s very cute.

I also received the happy news that ‘You’re Different, Jemima’ will soon be in print. This book has had a rocky start in life and almost didn’t make it. But the fabulous Naomi and Jeremy Hunter at ‘Empowering Resources’ look it on and now it’s available for pre-sale. 

This one was made for a friend’s 40th. It had fresh raspberries cooked inside it and it was delicious! The icing was cream cheese frosting. Definitely my favourite cake so far.

Bare Cakes also got their own FB page! 

We’re coming to the end of our incredibly long Summer break. This year has ben one of our best in Australia. The weather has been amazing, the garden has been beautiful and the kids have been a lot of fun. We’ve been camping, discovered ‘The Pillars’,  entertained overseas and local visitors and shot down a crazy long waterslide in a main street in Melbourne. It may not be illustration but this lot are my constant source of inspiration. (The chicken was a Christmas present made by my youngest)