Patternbank - Inspiration for Print, Pattern & Graphics

Amy Sia – {Designer Spotlight}

By Patternbank On May 10, 2013 · In Print + Pattern

Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Amy Sia is a Fashion/ Textile Designer now living and working in London. Amy’s work is a vibrant and lively collection of prints which have found their way onto scarves, home furnishings and i-phone cases. Her work has recently caught the attention of the Patternbank team and here we ask Amy a few questions about how she got started and about her success to date, with an insight into what inspires her beautiful work.

How did you get into designing textiles, did one thing start your career?

I studied fashion design in Melbourne Australia at RMIT University and from there worked in the fashion industry in Melbourne for a few years. I always loved working on print designs and seeing the print collections from studios. When I moved to London about two and a half years ago I decided to pursue a career in textile print design as there are so many opportunities for this field here. I started by interning at a London print studio and then moved onto freelancing for textile print studios. During a quiet period of freelancing I started doing some work for Society6 a website which allows designers to sell their artwork on products such as mobile phone cases. I also started using pinterest. A writer for refinery29 saw my pinterest and also my work there and I was featured in a story as a top “pinterest power player”. This led to a lot of exposure for my work including being featured on the Martha Stewart blog and ongoing collaborations with Anthropologie and Casemate and that is basically what got the ball rolling!

Where do you get inspiration for your work? What is inspiring you right now?

I love looking at the beauty of God’s creation, nature is amazing there are so many gorgeous colours and shapes it is endless! Fashion is another huge source of inspiration. I love to look at what is on the catwalk, in store and also street fashion through blogs. I do also love to look at prints and patterns from the past and from other cultures.

At the moment I’m loving everything marbled!

Bloom Quartet – Town & Country Mag X Ruven Afanador

By Patternbank On May 9, 2013 · In Inspiration

Fashion Photographer Ruven Afanador paired up with Town and Country Magazine to create these amazing floral wonders. Here some of the strongest designer’s showcase their Spring 2013 collections. Entwined in fierce pattern plays this dreamy photo shoot has a fairy tale air to things. Styled by fashion editor Hanna Teare these photos give a real insight into upcoming floral trends for the Summer.

Stefanie Jasper – Ethereal Worlds

By Patternbank On May 9, 2013 · In Inspiration

Stefanie Jasper uses Tumblr as a diary for her recent artistic evolution, her objective is to find images that move people. She is a professional photographer and this truly shows in her work, these are beautiful, abstract and ethereal with a sumptuous depth of colour. Check out her amazing Tumblr here.

Amy Wilson Faville – Patterned Shopping Carts

By Patternbank On May 8, 2013 · In Print + Pattern

Focusing on the beauty in a jumble of fabrics, blankets, bags and a random collection of goods, Californian based artist, Amy Wilson Faville has photographed shopping carts used by homeless people in San Francisco’s Mission District, to create mixed media constructions. The combination of drawing and collage mixed with random pattern and colour, mirrors the nature of these curious moving homes. Despite the sadness of their haphazard lives, Faville has depicted a certain beauty in her depiction of their belongings and mobile possessions. Faville was artist-in-residence at Recology San Francisco from June – September 2012, you can see more of her work here and other artists too.

Hollis Brown Thornton – Memories

By Patternbank On May 8, 2013 · In Inspiration

Dealing with themes of memory and change, Thornton uses family photos, pop culture, world events, and outdated media to illustrate the modern relevance of these past objects and events. The use of erasure and fragmentation represent memory’s imperfections. Pixelation and computer manipulation represent the physical world merging with the digital, as the digital world is one of contemporary society’s recent cultural evolutions. The marker drawings represent the accumulation of things that were once valid but have lost their original importance. The drawings represent the paradox of what to do with things that were once meaningful yet no longer serve the same purpose. Check more on his website or Flickr.

Steve Kim – Inspiration via Tumblr

By Patternbank On May 7, 2013 · In Inspiration

Patternbank loves this selection of artworks by digital artist Steve Kim. These colourful glitch twisted illustrations have been astounding us for the last year or so. Some of these romantic looking portraits were amazingly inspired by Tumblr users. Mixing sharp geometric angles against contrasting hyper-bright colours gives Steve Kim’s work its unique and eye catching look. Kim is obsessed by technology and interaction between beauty and digital form so is always close component in his work. If you are in London this month check out Lilk Gallery Art Studio where Steve Kim’s work is on display.

Modern Day Pop Art Beauty – Sandra Chevrier

By Patternbank On May 6, 2013 · In Inspiration

Patternbank are loving the bold illustrations of Montreal based artist Sandra Chevrier. Her portraits are brought to life by combining familiar iconic comic book characters with strong brush work. The refreshing use of collage techniques mixed with the multicoloured comic book art gives real impact in these stunning illustrations. See more of her explorations with paper and paint at sandrachevrier.com

Pick Me Up 2013 – Illustration and Contemporary Graphic Art Trends

By Patternbank On May 3, 2013 · In Graphics, Inspiration

Patternbank were at Pick Me Up, UK’s first annual contemporary graphic art fair at Somerset House, London. In it’s Fourth year now the show has grown to be a great place to spot new and upcoming talent with original works and prints available to purchase. Not only that there are various events and workshops to get involved in so altogether a great inspiring day out.

Patternbank highlights the strongest Illustrators, graphic artists and studios seen at the fair this year.

This year was another mass of creative workshops and inspirational content. Pick Me Up packs together the most exciting international talent from the wonderfully diverse field of graphic arts for an 11-day extravaganza of creative workshops, late-night art and music mash-ups, quirky family-fun events and interactive shopping spaces with original, affordable artwork and limited- edition prints.

Fatherless were on hand creating one-of-a-kind hand-printed images especially for Pick Me Up crowd, as well as creating prints, t-shirts, broadsides and handbills each day. Formed in 2010 and hailing from Rockford, Illinois, Fatherless is a collaborative print posse of artists, designers, graffiti writers and educators. All of their work consists of hand-screened, limited edition prints, and can best be described as, “a visual mixtape of creative shenagination.”

Katie draws inspiration from traditional scientific illustrations. Katie’s original work was made especially for this years Pick Me Up. Patternbank loved her whimsical studies of biological studies and scientific drawings.