Are you as upside down as I am? These past two months have been deeply unsettling. As a freelance artist for almost 40 years, it’s not the working from home that’s an adjustment. It’s everything else. The global deaths, economic fallout, social distancing, mask-wearing, and swabbing of surfaces are overwhelming. Although it’s often hard to concentrate, finding a daily creative moment has kept me grounded.
Back in January, before all this hit my world, I had eagerly signed up for a Maine College of Art Continuing Studies course, Pattern and Surface Design, taught by the talented Leticia Plate.
Here she is in early January visiting me when it happened to be her birthday!
When class began at MECA on January 13, Leti gave a lecture on what the surface design field encompasses: stationary, greeting cards, gift items, dishware, wrapping paper, apparel, home decor such as bedding, pillows, rugs, bolt fabric, and wallpaper. So much to learn!
Since greeting cards are a large part of this market, our first assignment was to create a birthday card. Right up my alley! I’ve made my own cards for as long as I can remember. But making one with a broad appeal for a commercial purpose was another challenge altogether. But fun!
My nimble neighbor, Nikolai, (and sometimes model for my children’s books) agreed to make some balloon animals for me. He’s a guy of many talents.
This turned into my first card design:
I began thinking of other birthday party games, and asked if my neighbors had a Twister game. Yes! I love my neighbors always willing to advance my game.
Here’s my second card:
My third idea represents a certain fact, that my cards are often late. But I think a card is better late than never, right?
Back to MECA for the next class….Monday evenings from 6 – 8 PM.
Leticia always provided lots of books and inspiration from her experience and sources on the internet.
Leticia was herself preparing for a trip to New York for a pop-up event surrounding Surtex, the industry’s annual trade show event. Leticia would be installing her own booth at Artful Rebels nearby and showed us her portfolio and preparations.
Her designs are lively and bold, and she creates them mostly on her iPad in Procreate. Leti did a few demonstrations of that tool on the large digital screen in the classroom. We began to draw simple designs to repeat by using copiers.
My classmate, Lucinda Cathcart, did this one.
Our next homework assignment was to create a collection of patterns, with variations of color and complexity that would coordinate as a larger group. I made a list of Maine nature subjects and paired them by letters of the alphabet, such as hummingbirds and hibiscus, lupines and lobsters, dahlias and deer. I’m into alliteration and abecedary!
I tried a fiddlehead fern repeat.
I’m not crazy about this color application, but it’s all an experiment.
After drawing my separate elements, I spent hours trying to find a good arrangement of the parts. This is trickier than it looks, trust me.
Playing with placement can involve lots of screen time in Photoshop as well.
Adding color is another digital step, this done in Adobe Illustrator.
Back in class, Leticia showed us how to view our designs on Spoonflower.
We carved abstract designs into linoleum pieces to make stamped repeats. I tried a version of my red leaf logo, with mixed results.
This pattern came from carving into an eraser.
I loved seeing what my classmates were creating, too!
In another class, we worked on hand-lettering. Each student found a favorite quote to practice with.
Lucinda used her iPad to start developing her lettered quote.
I worked on mine more after class.
In the next class, we tackled abstract designs. As a representational illustrator, this was a stretch for me, but fun. I cut up shapes for a collage from materials that Leticia had provided.
Seeing how something repeats is often a surprise.
This is by my table mate, Jaye. I love these shapes and colors!
I also tried painting a design with gouache. It began to remind me of beach combing, so I painted some china patterns on a couple of shapes.
I tried uploading this onto Spoonflower, and I must admit, it’s cool to see the pattern in situ. I decided to order a pair of pillows for my windowseat!
I kept working on abstract drawings, combining my love of shapes like waves and ellipses with pastel blends of color.
I came up with a grid of spots.
What do you think for a duvet?
Our last class was on March 2, when Leticia brought refreshments and we mingled while admiring each other’s pattern work. It was delicious that Leti used her own plate with her own design!
Thanks, Leticia, for a fun dive into surface design! I have so many ideas to explore now.
At the recent request of some folks who are isolated, I signed and shipped my books for birthday presents. Visit my shop and I can do the same for you!
As we move through this pandemic as gently as possible, I hope you will find patterns, of possibility, of creating color in your life, of holding on. Stay safe, dear ones.
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JAMIE dear
It doesn’t matter which direction you go because you’re bound to succeed in all of them!
Loved your Pink Wave and Red Leaf designs
Go, girl 👏
Can’t wait to see what’s next ❣️
Gunnel! Thanks for always being there for me!!! Love you.
Awww, thank you Jamie!!! This whole post is so lovely and filled me with tons of joy and a touch of sadness (so wish we could go back in time to pre-craziness…).
Thank you for being in the class, sharing your creativity and for making this amazing blog post! XOXO
Leticia, the pleasure was all mine. Your class will provide tons of future pattern-making! xoxoxo
What a joy it is to see these splashes of color, Jamie. First off, make sure that slo-mo card is copyrighted because it’s a keeper. Send it somewhere tout suite, oui ? The next, I LOVE the duvet cover although it would probably keep me wide awake until I turned off the light. But it’s joyous and I’d doubly love to see it while the sun is shining. thanks for this great post in a complicated time.
Nicole, I miss you sooooo much! Thanks for writing and I WILL submit my designs somewhere, somehow.
Jamie, I loved this post. I started out studying pattern design in college, and have taught it at the 4th to 6th grade level using erasers, 1″ grid paper and Lino blocks. I admit to being wildly jealous of the digital tools available to designers nowadays, after having slaved with hand-cut silkscreen and masa paper at school, lol.
Karen, thanks for reading! I have so much more to learn. Where did you teach it?
Love this post! You made so many beautiful things. Glad you were able to get that in before the lockdown.
It feels like ages ago. But so much came out of it, I refreshed my memory and want to make more patterns. Thanks for reading!
This was a refreshing, inspiring interlude in my day. Thanks, Jamie!
Thanks for reading, Charlotte!
My two favorite talented people. I’m lucky to have received cards from both of you. Loving that bed spread Jamie!
So great to see all this work… you are both inspiring..and make me want to design a pattern for my next rug..
Love- Maryann
Thanks for reading, Maryann! Your rugs inspire ME!
Just delicious – the process and the products. Thank you for whisking me away into your world of beauty and creation!
Jean, so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks!
Oh Jamie,
I love reading your blog. The journey of creativity is so clear, vivid with colorful visuals and enjoyable by so many, who could not be there.
I especially love the “slo mo card. How wonderful for those of us who don’t keep such great awareness of time. I also love the pillow….THANKS again.
Pat, thanks for reading and for your kind words! I miss you!
Miss you too !