surface pattern design + creative prompts

Surtex and the National Stationery Show are happening in NYC this week, I've seen a bunch of my artist friends post all the colorful inspiration from booths at the shows..super inspiring. I thought it would be fun to share with you what I've been up to designing patterns, with the goal of exhibiting at Surtex in 2015.

Over the past year in between all my other projects, I've been working on building my surface pattern design portfolio and educating myself on the opportunities involved in expanding more of my business into art licensing. I have a few licensed products I've developed including Collage Pauge, my Stampington Graffiti Glam stamps, DVDs, {kol*LaJ] paper & stationery, my books and a NEW StencilGirl collection {coming in July!!}.

Diving into the world of licensing for surface pattern design has been on my goal list since 2006 {I really want to design a line of fabrics} but I always keep putting it off due to all my other teaching, writing and design projects. I started designing collections in 2012 but put them aside to finish writing my last two books. So I've made the commitment to work hard through the rest of 2014 to launch my art licensing business. My patterns are a mixture of handmade paintings and digital artwork. I start with mixed media mark-making and various printmaking techniques then scan them into the computer and create pattern collections using Photoshop.

I thought I'd share a little behind the scenes of all the colorful patterns, handmade printmaking tools and mixed media artwork I've been creating and provide you with creative jumpstarts to encourage you to work in your journal or sketchbook.

Here are some fun tips and ideas for your sketchbook or art journal inspired by my artwork...

• work on plain white cardstock, mixed media, deli or found paper. I do this quite a bit when working on pages for my art journal. I love working on separate sheets of various papers then binding them into handmade books.
• dip a script liner sumi brushes/00 paintbrush or pointed calligraphy nib into india ink. handletter the alphabet. brainstorm a list of words about travel. draw a face.
• take photos of flora and nature on your walks and use them to inspire your paintings. draw and paint the shapes and lines you see in the flowers.
• cut apart a strawberry or tomato basket to use as a mask or stencil
• add Golden Titanium White fluid acrylic paint to your paint to give it a little pop {tint} of color over a dark background
• make handmade tools/paintbrushes with found objects..wrap raffia around a chopstick and secure with a rubberband.
• paint blocks of color then draw doodles and mark-making with colored pencils
• I recommend Golden Open paints for stamping, plexiglas prints and printing with a Gelli Plate. The Open paints have slower drying time and are great for printmaking.
• paint Golden High Flow onto a plexiglas sheet or gel plate then take a print.
• make pattern stamps with craft foam and paint patterns by repeating the stamp impression
• draw lines on fabric - place the tip of the Golden High Flow bottle on the fabric and move it across the surface quickly.  
• place Golden High Flow Phthalo Turquoise in a fine tip applicator and draw fine lines over paint.
• if you don't have time to pull out all the paints, paint in ArtRage or Procrate on the iPad. get loads of digital mixed media tips and numerous how-to videos in my digitalCANVAS e-course.
• learn more mark-making and art journaling techniques in my art.journal.PLAY online workshops which are now self-guided, access 24/7 work at your own pace.

I hope this peek inside my studio has inspired you to pick up a paintbrush, marker or pencil.

happy creating...xoxo~Traci