Insight into my pattern design plans, being the new kid on the block & a wedding colouring book sneak

Also, anyone else feel like it's autumn already?

Hey creative friends,

how have you been this past week? I hope good?

I’ve been feeling a bit tired and under the weather this week. I think the dreary weather was creeping up on me. It is June here, but it feels like autumn at times. It is so cold, grey and rainy… The last two days have finally been sunny and that has really given me a mood boost! But today it is back to feeling like autumn again, although the temperature is still warm. Oh, well! Next week is supposed to be better, so fingers crossed!

This past week, I have been working on another bottle painting commission. I feel so honoured that people trust me to create for them! And that they like my work and support me in these beginning stages of my path.

I also love that with these commissions I get to paint and explore subjects that I haven’t before and moreover, probably wouldn’t have chosen too. This week’s commission has been the same. And I can’t wait to show it to you, once it is finished and gifted. I’m really happy with how it turned out!

I might even go ahead and sketch some of these new florals that I got to work on for the commission. The commission has really inspired me. So stay tuned for that!

Now on to what else has been going on.

1 Gathering inspiration for my pattern collections

I’ve really made a deep dive into pattern design in the last week. I’ve been gathering more inspiration for my patterns and looking at the artwork that I’ve created the last months (or years…). And I’ve started to pick up again where I left off in April on this surface pattern design journey. 

Notion and also my notes in my notepad have been really helpful to get back into the swing of things. I’ve also been looking around Pinterest to get a better feel for pattern design. In the past years I have been doing online courses by Bonnie Christine, Mel Armstrong and Bärbel Dressler on Skillshare - all of which have been really helpful! 

I still remember the moment that I realized that actual breathing humans create the patterns on t-shirts, bedding and tableware! I mean, how freaking amazing is that?!

So, here is a sneak peek at some of the first (very basic) patterns that I’ve drawn on my iPad. I had so much fun with this very first pattern, that I ended up creating multiple colourways for it. I’m also dabbling in Adobe Illustrator for creating patterns. But that is a topic for another day (haha, the Adobe Creative suite can be just so overwhelming, can’t it?).

My very first pattern. It is an Art Deco inspired pattern.

I’d love to do a pattern with the lily studies that I made. A bit in the style of a modern toile de jouy. 

For these lily studies, I deconstructed some tulips to get a closer look at all the details. From that I created these observational sketches.

And also something with some tulips that I sketched this spring. Maybe a pattern inspired by William Morris. I really admire his work and many of the Art & Crafts movements creations!

These tulip sketches were also drawn by observing real tulips that I had on my desk. I think this is my favourite way to create!

Here is some inspiration that I gathered for my future pattern designs:

Different pattern design inspirations that I've been looking at. It is so interesting to see how different patterns can be!

2 Being the new kid on the block

I’m currently also reaching out to other people, introducing myself and the work I do. After all, I’m the new kid on the block. :) And I think it is nice to say hi and connect with others.

It has been so interesting to get to know so many new people in different areas and just chat. People that you otherwise wouldn’t get in contact with because you A don’t know them, B they live on the other side of the world and C you feel intimidated to reach out to them in the first place.

However, my word for this year is abundance. And I’m set on embracing it - to be positive and to see an abundance of experiences, exchanges or opportunities. In the last years many things have felt so rigid, so it is nice to go new ways and step out of my comfort zone.

Sometimes though, I’ll be honest, it has been hard to sit down and write an e-mail or pick up the phone to make a call. It takes loads of courage and I can’t help but be nervous every time I hit send or hear the telephone call ringing through. Doing lots of cold calling or emailing really isn’t fun. I can’t help but feel as if I’m pitching myself to others with every mail or phone call. And especially the phone calls feel like a job interview in which I have to make an impression in 10 seconds. Although it should not feel so heavy at all.

But sometimes I get to experience a great and personal interaction! And it is nice to be the new kid on the block because you get to talk about this and that. Or you can express our love for someone else’s work and sometimes even experience them loving yours too. And most people don’t bite and are generally happy to interact. All of this then makes everything so worthwhile!

Nevertheless, I’m going to keep going and be positive and open. But I want you to know, that you are not alone in the feeling that reaching out to strangers can feel really vulnerable and isolating. I’m cheering you on from afar! 

Plus, if you’d like to chat about the adventure that is cold emailing and calling, please feel free to write me an e-mail or an Instagram dm!

3 Putting the finishing touches on my colouring book

I’m also still busy working away on my wedding inspired colouring book. I’m almost finished with the drawing of the colouring pages and it has been so much fun! However, it has all been taking far longer than I thought. But that could also have to do with the fact that I keep adding pages and images. Nevertheless, I think it will be really worth it!

Here are two more pages from my upcoming colouring book. Every page will have a slightly different theme surrounding weddings.

So, I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the creation of this colouring book was inspired by two weddings that I attended last year. These weddings made me develop the idea to create a colouring book for brides-to-be, for hen-dos or for wedding guests. Oh, and of course also for people who just love creative colouring books! 

I find colouring books just so soothing, so I thought it would be nice to have an aesthetically pleasing colouring book that would be suitable for adults but also for children. And one that you could draw in at home alone or together with others. Also, a colouring book that would be so complex that you could get creative at home and dive deep into. But also a book that would be so simple that you could also draw in at the downtime of a wedding as a guest. 

The aim for this colouring book is to create an aestethic escape for both children and adults.

So that’s why I got to work and I am drawing up 25 colouring pages just for you! I hope that I will get the drawing part finished this weekend. And then I’ll get ahead to arrange the pages and settle on a cover.

To read more about my upcoming colouring book and more importantly, see more of it, read an old newsletter about it here and here.

Until next week, friends!

Love,

P.S.: Know someone who might enjoy receiving this newsletter too? Feel free to forward it to them - I would highly appreciate it, if you do!