UPPERCASE #41 by Janine Vangool

SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN GUIDE 3rd edition

make your mark

for the C R E A T I V E and C U R I O U S

F A B R I C

N E W C O L L E C T I O N AVA I L A B L E I N S T O R E S A P R I L 2 0 1 9

Taking graphic cues from the mechanics of print on paper— the rollers of a printing press, stacks of paper, halftone dots and registration marks—many of the patterns in UPPERCASE’s third collection with Windham Fabrics debuted as print on paper in previous issues of the magazine.

B O O K S

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Dear Reader, As creative people, we’re drawn to decoration—give us a white sheet of paper or a blank canvas and our first inclination will be to give it purpose through line and colour. This applies to our surroundings as well: from the rugs beneath our feet, to the upholstery upon which we sit, to our windows and walls—surfaces are tufted, woven, papered and draped with texture and pattern. Our domestic spaces are galleries of pattern with everything from ceramic and enamelled surfaces in the kitchen to soft surfaces of furniture and bedcovers adorned with design. When we sew our clothes and/or make a quilt, we owe a large part of the pleasure in that making to the beauty of the patterned fabrics we select in reflection of who we are, or want to be. Patterns are ubiquitous, and yet, there’s always room for more beauty and colour! Whether in trendy motifs, new and surprising points of view, or in deeply personal expressions, pattern has the power to punctuate our lives.

J A N I N E VA N G O O L

publisher, editor, designer

This issue contains the third edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide and features profiles of 100 established and up-and-coming designers as well as Top Ten Tips from industry experts. It’s a must-read for aspiring surface pattern designers and a valuable reference for those sourcing new talent!

Pre-Order!

o with F I N D OInUmy T studi MO R E yards and yards of

Circular Logic. Hmmm, what should I make?

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Contents APRIL / MAY / JUNE 2019

L I V I N G W I T H PAT T E R N

Whitney Sherman BALTIMORE, MARYL AND, UNITED STATES

I’m a collector of a number of things: transferware dishes on our kitchen wall, vintage tablecloths for any time friends arrive, design and art books we read, old family photos arranged throughout our home, paper ephemera tucked into boxes and drawers, silk scarves, and old painted picnic tins, each carrying patterns unique to their origin and use. I’m also an illustrator, educator and homewares designer. In my illustrations, pattern becomes one of the characters in the story. For Pbody Dsign, a home-based business I run with my partner and husband, designs are inspired by years of collecting, nature (in my tiny backyard garden) and travel. My husband and I live in a small Craftsman bungalow in Baltimore. Living small means that my love of surface pattern is often expressed in the smallest places, located against a counterpoint of neutrals and colour fields—a Polish polka-dot mug, a plaid lap blanket or on a tea towel that I designed. Our home is a place where small things take on large roles. Pattern finds itself in many of the items here including a few treasures from my grandmother who was my artistic mentor. A black, red and cream log cabin rug she made using wool coats hooked onto a burlap feed sack; a common stool covered with a purple, four-petalled flower design punch rug; and a blue, cream and orange loom-woven, chevron-design pouch that I sewed into a pillow. (She was prolific and DIY before it was a movement.) Feeling at home with patterns means that making, using and preserving these objects continues a pattern of women makers in my family. pbodydsign.com

WELCOME EDITOR’S LET TER . . . . . . 3 SUBSCRIPTIONS . . . . . . . 7 SNIPPETS . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

ARE YOU NEW TO UPPERCASE MAGAZINE?

P R E T T Y . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Pattern Ladies by Alison Kolesar S W AT C H . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 TREND . . . . . . . . . . .

B E G I N N I N G S . . . . . . . . . 14

Ruby Star Society: Rebirth of a Fabric Company by Abby Glassenberg F R E S H . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Queenbe Monyei, Christine Wei, Althea Rao, Taryn Murfitt, Maegan Kirschner, Kathleen Bruce, Russ Parker, Natalie Miles

D I S C O V E R . . . . . . . . . . 44

Barron and Larcher: Partners in Print by Jane Audas H I S T O R Y . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Maiolica: William Morris and the Legacy of Italian Renaissance Design on the Arts and Craft Movement by Angela Clarke

P A R T N E R P I C K S . . . . . . . 59

Windham Fabrics, Eva Franco, Art Maison Canada, Lilla Rogers

Elizabeth Olwen: Life in Lisbon

MISC.

FINE PRINT L I B R A R Y . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 A B E C E D A R Y . . . . . . . . . 26

Abecedary of Decorated Domestic Surfaces by Andrea Marván

109

Papeterie Nota Bene by Joy Deneen H O B B Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

C O V E R A R T I S T . . . . . . . . 38

S K E T C H B O O K . . . . . . . . 40

Connecting Pages by Sharon Nullmeyer

K AT E G O L D I N G . . . . . .

Pursuing surface pattern design

C O V E T . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Lucie Duclos in her own words

F I G O F A B R I C S . . . . . . . 70

How to be trendy and modern while still being unique by Ghazal Razavi

S U B S C R I B E R S T U D I O S . . 112

A Growing Appreciation by Andrea Jenkins

G A L L E R Y . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Top 10 tips for living a life full of pattern by Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire

How to be inspired

B U S I N E S S . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Reader Submissions: Surface Pattern Design is All Around Us

BACK ISSUES AND BOOKS

100 profiles of surface pattern designers around the world

Deadly Patterns by Brendan Harrison

What Goes on at Trade Shows? Article by Arianne Foulks Illustration by Andrea D’Aquino

ART & DESIGN

P O R T F O L I O S . . . . . . . 60

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M I N I M O D E R N S . . . . . . 65

106

The History of the Eraser by Joy Deneen Featured artist: Joey Bearbower B R I C K & M O R TA R . . . . .

C O V E R A R T . . . . . . . . . . 58

by Julz Nally

F I E L D T R I P . . . . . . . . . . 54

TOOLS . . . . . . . . . . . .

SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN GUIDE

B O O K S . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

The UPPERCASE Encyclopedia of Inspiration

LITTLE U

D A N L E H M A N . . . . . . . 80

JOSEPHINE K I M B E R L I N G . . . . . . . 84

Developing Your Own Artistic Style J E A N E T TA G O N Z A L E S . . 88

Tips for Artists BONNIE CHRISTINE

. . . 92

Creating a Cohesive Pattern Collection C O T T O N & F L A X . . . . . 100

Retailing Pattern F I E L D T R I P . . . . . . . . 105

An Independent Alternative to Big Trade Shows

Little U, the offspring of UPPERCASE magazine, is an occasional publication for the young at heart. (Think of it as a smaller and cuter version of UPPERCASE!) With childlike wonder, Little U explores making, designing, illustrating and living. Highlighting children’s books, surface pattern design, clothing and product design for young folk, and arts and crafts inspired by and/or made for children, this publication inspires and informs professional creatives and families alike. littleumag.com

G R AT I T U D E UPPERCASE

201B – 908, 17th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 0A3 J A N I N E VA N G O O L

publisher, editor, designer janine@uppercasemagazine.com

Thank you to our many talented contributors and creative collaborators—plus hundreds of submitters!—who have made this issue a valuable and inspiring resource. uppercasemagazine.com/issue41

GLEN DRESSER

customer service shop@uppercasemagazine.com CORREY BALDWIN

copyeditor CORE CONTRIBUTORS

I N S TA G R A M

Jane Audas Correy Baldwin Andrea D’Aquino Melanie Falick Arianne Foulks Joy Deneen Glen Dresser Brendan Harrison Andrea Jenkins Linzee Kull McCray Andrea Marván Kerrie More Emily Orpin Lydie Raschka Christopher Rouleau

T H A N K YO U Thank you to the hundreds of talented people who submitted to the Surface Pattern Design Guide. Even if you weren’t featured within these printed pages, your effort was noticed and appreciated! UPPERCASE has the best readers in the world.

@ C O L O R G I R L Q U I LT S

@SABINAC VJETKOVIC

Printed in Canada by The Prolific Group.

Interior pages are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled Rolland Enviro 100. @SANDERELLA_D

Give this magazine a long life! The content is evergreen, so we hope you’ll revisit it over and over again. If you’re done with it, please pass it on to a friend or colleague who might enjoy our content, or cut up the pages and create some art.

@ A I R _ B I L LY

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Make connections, nurture your creative spirit and grow your business!

The UPPERCASE Circle is a vibrant community hub. One that is a valuable source of motivation, inspiration and encouragement for like-minded and kind-hearted creative people from around the world. Although the community is initially brought together by its support for and appreciation of UPPERCASE magazine, the Circle will enhance your experience of all things UPPERCASE while providing additional value to your creative life through conversation and sharing of knowledge. • Connect with members of the UPPERCASE community—both near and far—who share your interests. • Share your work with your peers, mentors and potential customers. • Find inspiration, motivation and new perspectives. • Move your creative business forward with tips, tools and support from peers and guest experts.

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P R E T T Y

Pattern Ladies ||| BY ALISON KOLESAR

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My six-year-old self knew she wanted to be an artist, but it wasn’t until after degrees in history and art history that I learned to make etchings and started selling them in little galleries in London. After moving to the US, drawings I made for our local newspaper led to illustrations for a local publisher. Illustration fit well with staying home with four kids (all grown now). I’ve done illustrations for well over a hundred books as well as magazines, developing a minor specialization in knitting how-tos along the way. The genesis of my Pattern Ladies isn’t completely clear to me except that I love painting both patterns and people. I’m also intrigued by the idea of having the background of a picture be as interesting as the foreground. As a series they just evolved—I was enjoying each one so much that I just kept going! Once they began to turn into a series, I was conscious of trying to include some racial and ethnic diversity, and some of the later ones started to include birds and animals. I did look at photos for the women, but then tried not to paint directly from them so that they wouldn’t be actual portraits, and none of them is based on anyone I know. The patterns evolved as I worked rather than being planned ahead of time. I used one of the ladies for my banner when I went to Surtex in 2017 and it attracted the attention of a group from Sourcebooks publishers. They subsequently asked me to paint the covers for six reprints of historical novels by Georgette Heyer (whose work I had loved as a teenager, so that was a very exciting project). The Pattern Ladies also figure prominently on my website and were cited by the editor at Random House who contacted me about my current project. I’m illustrating a book called America Is Immigrants, written by Sara Nović, which will be out next winter. Much of that work consists of painting portraits of immigrants from 195 countries who have made significant contributions to the US, along with backgrounds that help tell their stories. I’ve even created a few patterns! alisonkolesar.com

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S W A T C H

RESOURCE

Historic Wallpapers of New England As the “oldest and largest regional heritage organization” in the United States, the Historic New England organization endeavours to preserve, document and educate. Their excellent website allows visitors from around the world to access a trove of imagery and information. Of particular note is a collection of over 6,000 wallpaper samples: “In addition to papers that came off the walls of New England buildings, the collection includes wallpapers used to line trunks, cover bandboxes, and decorate fireboards. Wallpapers range from pristine examples with complete repeats to small fragments.” historicnewengland.org

FR A MED COLLEC TION OF WALLPAPER AND WALLPAPER BORDER SA MPLES FROM THE JACK SON HOMES TE AD, NE W TON , M A . M ANY FLOR AL PAPER S (SOME EMBOSSED), AN AES THE TIC FLOR AL DESIG N , SE VER AL ANG LO -JAPANESE PA P E R S A N D O N E J A PA N E S E L E AT H E R PA P E R . A R R A N G E D I N T O A C O L L A G E A N D M O U N T E D U N D E R G L A S S I N A P L A I N S I LV E R M E TA L F R A M E . A L L S A M P L E S U S E D I N N E W E N G L A N D , 1 8 6 5 -1 9 0 0 . C O U R T E S Y O F H I S T O R I C N E W E N G L A N D . MUSEUM ACCESSION, 2014.52.1

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T R E N D

TOTES PRINTED

BEENANZA

MORRIS & ESSEX

After a life-changing trip with Ace Camps to Jaipur, in Rajasthan, India, to participate in a block-printing workshop with Heather Moore of Skinny laMinx, graphic designer Bethany AndrewsNichols got the confidence and inspiration to take the leap into surface pattern design. “I designed a backpack using my patterns that are woodblock printed by artisans in India. My goal is to not depend on other people or companies to use my patterns, but to produce and sell my own soft goods,” she says. “The backpacks are very limited, but I will continue to order small runs. For every five backpacks sold I am supplying clean water to one block-print artisan and their family (responsible for cutting the wood blocks and printing these patterns with incredible skill), delivered to their home for a year.” beenanzadesign.com

MIMBY

MIMBY (Made in My BackYard) is the result of Robin Tilling’s constant mantra, “I could make that.” Always busy making something, she began sewing tote bags for friends and a local shop, but quickly bridled at being constrained by commercial fabric offerings. UPPERCASE issue #25 introduced her to Jen Hewett’s online block-printing class, which blew her mind and fulfilled her fantasy of creating her own prints for her totes. mimby.us

Morris & Essex products are designed by Eliza Jane Curtis in her farmhouse studio in Maine. This classic bag has sturdy straps and a snap closure. The fabric is an original hand-printed flower pattern, screen printed in dark green ink on sturdy applegreen organic cotton canvas. morrisessex.com

DEER HENRI

Acrylic topaz handles give Deer Henri’s Alma tote extra style. Designed and made in Australia by Denise Hojdyssek. deerhenri.com.au

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BEGINNINGS

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F R E S H

Queenbe Monyei BERLIN, GERMANY

Queenbe Monyei is a self-taught illustrator, designer, animator and author of children’s books. After graduating from UCLA, she worked as an international teacher in the UK, Turkey and Denmark while designing during her free time. Her illustrations feature bold colours that incorporate her patterns. She is also passionate about featuring women of colour in her work, as they are a largely underrepresented group in the design world. queenbemonyei.com @queenbemonyei

Pattern for the People! Christine Wei VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Christine Wei was born in Taiwan and is currently living in Vancouver. Her works are inspired by people’s everyday journeys through life. Christine enjoys creating illustrations that are simultaneously whimsical, searching and sentimental. She illustrates with the hope of providing people with an imaginative segue into challenging but necessary discourses. Christine’s dream clients are art directors at different types of magazines or newspapers, children’s book publishers and different product designers. christineweiart.com @christinewsart

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Althea Rao NEW YORK, USA

Mengxi “Althea” Rao was born and raised in Beijing, and has lived and worked in Shanghai, Tokyo and Philadelphia. A journalist before self-identifying as an artist, she explores storytelling through different mediums: embodied interactive design, fiction or conceptual essayistic video, and immersive narrative experiences. Her works decontextualize themes from popular political discourse, and engage viewers’ personal experience. She recently finished her MFA thesis film, Three Seasons, and was accepted into the 2018 Cannes Court Métrage. She is currently working on two narrative film scripts and a large-scale interactive video sculpture. altheamrao.myportfolio.com @cloudvillle

Taryn Murfitt SPAIN

Taryn Murfitt is an aspiring illustrator and artist, and before she had children she was a textile and clothing designer. Her dream is to illustrate for magazines, products and maybe even books. She would also love to see her work hanging in someone’s home. Her dream client would be UPPERCASE, especially the Encyclopedia of Inspiration! Others include Anthropologie, Zara Home and any beauty packaging or homewares store. She would like the opportunity to create something with someone, so her goals for this work are to get it out there, hope that someone who sees it likes it, and to keep building into this style. CreatingTaryn.etsy.com @creatingtaryn

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Maegan Kirschner ROYSE CIT Y, TEXAS, USA

am an artist who uses industrial and recyclable materials to create artwork that is considered mixed-media. Paints, papers and metal become expressive parts of the overall project. All of my work is of the abstract genre and becomes fluid as it is conceived. The work focuses on the canvas being the base, but I branch out to sculpture pieces as well. I have multiple sclerosis (MS), which can create a challenge physically creating the work. The process of thinking out a project to physically creating allows an outlet for physical, mental and cognitive therapy in living with MS. The Abstract Circle Stories exhibition contains the works that represent the circle and how it

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is a beginning, ending and completion of all things in life. Love, heartache, memories and faith all come full circle to make us who we are. The soul is a circle that either grows outward or inward based on life experiences. The artworks invite the viewer into the world of the wife of a disabled veteran raising six children while living with MS, maintaining their faith and life circle throughout the journey. Depth and texture in the works pull the observer into the painting, creating a wave of emotions as they explore the depth and textures that stir memories and connections in their own lifecircle experiences. We cannot be circumspect in this rawness of feelings but must embrace the pieces and let the tears flow or

the laughter burst from our bliss. The vision of my work is to create depth and texture that causes the audience to dive in and immerse themselves into the piece to fully connect with the emotions and messages within each artwork. Paper, paint, metal, glass and other media are transformed into circles that lead to a completed story. Secret messages to my husband also create interesting adventures for the viewer as they try to understand a complicated and faithful love story. The entire exhibition is tied together by circles, but moods and feelings change with each piece due to colours, sizes of canvas and materials involved in the artistic process. amk-studio.business.site @maegankirschneramkstudio

Kathleen Bruce TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

When I was younger, I learned how to sew (we all did back then). My mom actually had a Singer sewing machine much like this one.

Russ Parker NEWARK, UNITED KINGDOM

I made my own clothes as I got older. When I got even older, I had dreams of sewing pretty little things for my children.

Then I had three children. I applaud those women who carve out time for creative outlets when their children are young. My children are older now (without a single item of clothing sewn by me) and my sewing machine has taken up residence on my dining room table again. Now, I design my own fabric. The next step is to make something out of that fabric. kathleenbruceillustration.com @kathleenbruceillo

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a freelance graphic designer, web designer and surface pattern designer based in the UK and I recently discovered/ unleashed my obsession with geometric patterns and generative art. I love vibrant colours, simple shapes and finding surprising combinations of the two. I would really love to see my patterns wrapped around gifts, hung on the walls of a beautiful home or, if anyone is brave enough, pasted as wallpaper. russfussuk.com/patterns @russfussuk

Natalie Miles AUBURN, KENT UCK Y, USA

I am an illustrator who enjoys creating whimsical patterns and illustrations. I am very interested in art licensing and bringing my patterns to life through products. I hope to work with my dream clients, World Market and Anthropologie, to create beautiful and unique products for people to enjoy in their everyday lives. nataliemilesillustration.com @natalie_miles

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A B E C E D A R Y

ABECE DARY OF

DECORATED DOMESTIC SURFACES COMPILED BY

ANDREA MARVÁN

BOLSTER A long, narrow, firm pillow that can be used for support or as a decorative finishing detail in a bedding ensemble.

ARMCHAIR From the exuberant Louis XV style to the sleek mid-century designs, the armchair has become both a functional piece of furniture and an accent piece for any living room. DRAPES For centuries, animal hides and heavy fabrics were suspended from doorways and any large gaps inside the home to provide warmth and privacy. Nowadays, drapes are made in an infinite variety of materials and styles, playing an important role in household décor.

ENAMELWARE Durable and easy to clean, enamelware was the first mass-produced American kitchenware, popularized in the 1870s. Pots, kettles and mugs were stamped from thin sheets of metal and then coated with enamel.

CHINTZ Derived from the Hindi word chīnt (flecked), it was originally a woodblock-printed cotton cloth produced in India in the 1600s that became highly popular with Europeans in the late 17th century. The industrially produced English textiles that are commonly known today consist of romantic floral patterns—predominantly in red, pink and green—typically printed on a light background. GINGHAM A simple yet eyecatching fabric made of yarn-dyed cotton in a plain weave, typically characterized by repeating squares in white and a bold colour that evokes a summery, country aesthetic. HANDKERCHIEF

IKAT From “to bind” in Indonesian, the ikat technique involves binding individual yarns and then dyeing the exposed yarn before it is woven into textiles, resulting in a washed-out motif.

JAC QUARD A thick and highly textured fabric with intricate raised patterns that are woven into the fabric itself rather than printed or stamped on it. 26

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F I G G J O This Nordic manufacturer of dinnerware was famous in the 1960s for its Lotte series designed by Turi Gramstad Oliver. Her quaint characters dressed in folk costumes and hues of blue, green and purple have become one of the most iconic Scandinavian patterns of the 20th century.

KITCHEN TOWELS From embroidered and designed to match the table linens, to inexpensive—and almost disposable— these durable cotton towels are a fundamental kitchen accessory.

This small square piece of cotton intended for personal hygiene almost disappeared in 1924 when disposable tissues were first marketed. However, during WWII it had a revival in the US as an inexpensive yet whimsical fashion accessory to lift the spirits of women in the workforce, becoming a classic example of art expressed in a utilitarian object. The Art of the Tea Towel by Marnie Fogg Both practical and beautiful, the tea towel has over the last century established itself firmly as an essential piece of domestic design. This illustrated book explores 100 of the best tea towel designs from the 1950s to today. pavilionbooks.com

MARIMEKKO Founded in 1951 by visionary Armi Ratia, this Finnish design house is renowned for its clothing and homeware with strikingly inventive patterns of bold geometrics and vibrant florals.

LINOLEUM Most often associated with mid-century kitchen floors, linoleum has actually been around since the 1860s. Made from solidified linseed oil, it is a resilient and inexpensive water-resistant floor covering for high-use areas.

NAPKIN This ordinary object has a fascinating history—from ancient Greeks using bread for wiping their hands to a tablecloth used as a giant communal napkin in the Middle Ages to the art of folding napkins into whimsical shapes. RUG Versatile in design and texture, rug making has changed from a necessity to a fine art form that represents the history behind the weaver’s culture.

PLAID

QUILT

A pattern with origins in Scotland’s tartans, created by crisscrossing unevenly spaced bars and stripes in two or more colours.

Beyond being used as bed covers, these multilayered patchwork textiles were traditionally made to commemorate important life events such as marriages and births. Nowadays, quilts are frequently displayed as works of art and a form of social and artistic expression.

S H A M Sharing the same meaning as “hoax,” a sham is a pretense ornamental covering that is meant to hide a plain pillow behind a more decorative façade.

UPHOLSTERY Fine craftsmanship for padding and covering a seat, and the perfect way to revamp a worn-out piece of furniture with good bones.

Chintz: ©The Design Library, Bolster: MexFabricSupplies.etsy.com, Cathrineholm enamelware: Chintz: ©The Design Library, Bolster: MexFabricSupplies.etsy.com, Cathrineholm enamelware: BirneyCreek.etsy.com, Figgjo: WioVintageVault.etsy.com, tea pot: ©Marimekko Corporation BirneyCreek.etsy.com, Figgjo: WioVintageVault.etsy.com, tea pot: ©Marimekko Corporation Orla: trouva.com, Yelloware: InglesideAve.etsy.com, zig zag: ©The Design Library Orla: trouva.com, Yelloware: InglesideAve.etsy.com, zig zag: ©The Design Library

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM Founded in 1852, London’s V&A Museum of decorative arts is one of the world’s leading museums of art in design with a permanent collection of more than 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity.

WILLIAM MORRIS A revolutionary force in Victorian Britain, William Morris (1834– 1896) was one of the 19th century’s most celebrated artists and a key figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. His work comprised nature-inspired patterns in wallpaper, textiles, tapestries and book designs.

TABLEWARE Plates, glassware, cutlery and other utensils used for setting the table, serving food and dining. The quality, nature and number of objects varies according to culture, cuisine and occasion. XYLOGRAPHY The art of making wood engravings or printing from wood blocks, which are then inked and applied to paper.

YELLOWARE Originating in the UK in the late 18th century and produced in the eastern US from the 1820s, this pottery was made from buff clay and covered with a yellowish transparent glaze, often decorated with thin bands of another colour.

ZIGZAG A pattern made by a series of short sharp angles in alternate directions. uppercasemagazine.com

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Free quilt pattern featuring UPPERCASE Volume 3 available from Windhamfabrics.com

O R L A K I E LY Irish-born designer Orla Kiely is known for her love for colour and pattern, playfully captured in her retro-inspired nature motifs in earthy tones with bursts of bright oranges, pinks and yellows. Although her eponymous clothing company shut down unexpectedly in 2018, her patterns continue to be licensed to homewares.

A R T I S T

I Lucie Duclos IN HER OWN WORDS

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U P P E R C A S E

LUCIE’S CREATIVE CAREER

studied fine arts in college, spending my days painting, sculpting and drawing. It was a two-year program and I never missed one class, I couldn’t wait to go to school every day! But I wasn’t sure how I could make a living as an artist so I decided to do a bachelor in graphic design at the University of Quebec in Montreal. My first job out of school was an assistant art director position at Coup de Pouce magazine in Montreal. I loved the dynamic environment of magazine publishing because I worked with a whole team of creative people, from writers, photographers and editors, to illustrators and designers. I then moved to California and realized a long-time dream of designing my own line of children’s clothing. I loved the process of pattern drafting and draping in apparel design but it was pretty difficult to keep up with with the inventory when you have to come up with a new collection every season. My business was doing well with over 400 stores carrying my line, but I eventually ran out energy and funding to keep it going so I decided to go back to graphic design. That’s when I fell into packaging design—the perfect match of illustration, pattern design and graphic design. It’s like making a little dress for a product. Designing patterns for packaging is a little different than designing for fabric because you don’t necessarily use

P O R T R A I T: E M I LY M C C A N N P H O T O G R A P H Y

C O V E R

a seamless repeat; you strategically place the designs and arrange them around the copy and logos to emphasize the brand, so the pattern design is not the star but a supporting actor. FAMILY PATTERNS

I have always been interested in pattern design on textiles. My grandmother was an avid and talented seamstress and would bring me along on Rue St-Hubert in Montreal where all the little fabric shops were lined up for several blocks. She would head straight for the remnant bin in search of the perfect little “coupon de tissu” as she called them in French. I was in awe of her skills and was fascinated by her considerable fabric stash and how quickly she could transform a piece of fabric into a stylish and fashionable garment. Everyone in the family had something made for them by grand-maman Lucile. I was named after her and she remains a powerful source of inspiration in my life.

My online classes on skillshare.com are all about creating patterns and textures, and experimenting with different media. What is great about teaching online is the possibility of reaching people around the world. My most popular class is my Collage and Go class, and I am currently working on a portable version of this workshop that I can teach in-person and take on a road trip across Canada in 2020. Explore my country, stop to teach a workshop here and there, and meet other artists along the way? Sounds like a dream trip to me. And one of the stops will definitely be at the UPPERCASE studio in Calgary! duclosdesign.com

When I moved to California, I took a fabric design workshop with Zeida Rothman in Berkeley. This was a very long time ago, before computers. She had her own little textile design school and she was showing us how to paint a repeat with gouache by hand. It would take forever to paint different colourways, as you can imagine. APPLIED PATTERN

I designed patterns for entire collections of seasonal products for several companies including Harry & David in Oregon, Illuminations in Petaluma, California, and Popcornopolis in Los Angeles. It is always a thrill to see my packaging work in a store or featured in a catalogue. In 2009 I started designing fabric on Spoonflower— they were a brand new business at the time. I love the Spoonflower community and I think it is a great platform on which to experiment and have fun creating whole collections of personal work. TEACHING IN PERSON AND ONLINE

When I moved back to Canada, I started teaching an intro to fabric design workshop at The Makehouse, a little sewing studio and retail shop in Victoria, British Columbia. In a three-hour session, I give an overview of all the different types and motifs in surface pattern design, followed by a little show-and-tell of my work and process. Then I show them how to create a seamless repeat using the paper-cutting technique and how to upload their designs to Spoonflower. It’s amazing the work that comes out of that class considering most people do not have a design background. Everybody is so intrigued by surface pattern design—this class sells out every time and we are adding an advanced class in the spring.

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S U R FAC E PAT T E R N DE SIGN GU IDE

P A R T N E R

P I C K S

Bex Morley

A message from Janine Vangool

SELECTED FOR A FABRIC COLLECTION

UPPERCASE PUBLISHER, EDITOR AND DESIGNER

Thank you to everyone who entered this third edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide. With over 650 entrants who submitted three or more designs apiece, it was an interesting overview of what’s happening now in art and design. The entries I selected for publication were included for various reasons. Graphically speaking, I looked at technical proficiency or unique non-digital mark-making methods, as well as work that showed an interesting point of view, intriguing colour palette or unique iteration of a particular trend. (Llamas, sloths, tigers in jungles were very common. Leaping, dancing or swimming ladies are also on trend.) I included artists new to the industry as well as some veterans.

Windham Fabrics manufactures beautiful quality quilting and crafting fabrics with a diverse range of graphic styles, from traditional to contemporary. “We liked Bex Morley’s fresh colour palette and whimsical style,” says Laura Jaquinto of Windham. “We thought the combination would be perfect for a fabric collection!” Bex Morley is a BritishCanadian illustrator and surface designer living on Vancouver Island. She is particularly inspired by the flora and fauna of the North-West Pacific, and by her classic English country upbringing. She is fuelled mostly by Earl Grey tea and toast.

My job as editor was to select a variety of submissions that show a vibrant range of what’s happening right now in surface pattern design, and, hopefully, what’s up and coming! uppercasemagazine.com/issue41

COVER ART BY

Julz Nally Julz Nally’s pattern stood out with its bright colours and confident analogue mark-making, expressing a simple joy of exploring colours and pattern, unencumbered by expectations. “As a warm-up in the morning, I enjoy creating with materials that I don’t normally use in my illustration work,” Julz explains. “I love the energy that resulted from the overlaying of marks made with Prismacolor markers, ranging from light to dark, and the textures that resulted from some of the markers running out of ink. The black lines were created with an ink brush pen, which I used to fill in the empty space.” See more from Julz’s portfolio on page 82.

bexmorley.com @bex.morley windhamfabrics.com

SELEC TED TO BE FE ATURED IN A FASHION COLLECTION

Eva Franco’s stylish clothes celebrate classic femininity. Based in Los Angeles, her collections are available through independent retailers as well as Anthropologie. “To me, wearing prints out into the world is so much more rewarding then simply having one hang in your home,” Eva comments. “In a way, as a fashion designer I am just a glorified frame-maker for surface artists.”

Elenor (Dorottya Gottl) “I was attracted to Elenor’s sophisticated colours palette,” says Eva. “Her layered effects create a depth to prints that works really well when designing garments. I love her subtle details, they are incredibly whimsical. Just my cup of tea.”

Gabriella Buckingham “Gabriella Buckingham’s work feels as if you can still smell the fresh paint on them,” comments Eva. “Her prints brim with optimism. Her chalky colours energize the viewer. I love to see an artist’s brush strokes and how it intersects with a design element in the garment.” evafranco.com uppercasemagazine.com

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P O R T F O L I O S

ARTISTS SELECTED FOR HOME DECOR LICENSING

From their 300,000 square-foot manufacturing space based in Toronto, Art Maison Canada reproduces artwork as canvas prints, framed wall art and murals, pillows and other textiles. “Our team was encouraged by the colours, detailing and style of the artworks selected, and found that there was plenty of relevance to our home décor and accessories marketplace. There was also fresh use of colour and clean lines, which we found appealing.” Selected artists include Joy Ting Charde (shown above), Arrolynn Weiderhold, Bella Gomez, Camila Cerda, Caroline Sarrette Design, Danielle Reiner, DK Ryland Studio, Jennifer Hines, Kate Vasilchenko, Kelly Kratzing Designs, Kirsten Katz, Maggie Ramirez Burns, Maria Watson, Melissa Lowry, Michael Zindell Designs, Patricia Braune, Red Raspberry Design (Gillian Grimmett), Scarlett Design (Natalie Bergeron), Shannon’s Studio (Shannon Christensen) and Tânia Margarido Art & Design. artmaison.ca

HOME DECOR COURSE RECIPIENTS

From the 100 profiled artists, Lilla Rogers and her team selected two recipients for free tuition. “Laura C. Moyer has an incredible array of icons beautifully rendered that would be really amazing as apparel,” says Lilla. Laura will have access to the Home Decor Course. “And Rima Tessman has done a lovely, fresh repeat pattern of berry branches that would sell well, and also shows two really fun repeats that would make very hip clothing or bags: a kooky chair pattern and larger-scale chickens.” Rima will have access to the Home Decor Live Course. makeartthatsells.com 60

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U P P E R C A S E

A. DeLane

Aimée Brender

AMANDA GOODWILLIE

Driven by an exploration of the connection between humans and the natural world, Amanda Goodwillie creates artwork inspired by motion, nature and the seasons. She approaches each painting from a place of honouring all the influences from history that have inspired her and led her to this moment, balanced by a persistent curiosity to explore new terrain.

Aimée Brender is an on-the-job trained textile artist and designer with a passion for patterns. She has 10 years of freelance experience and an extensive background creating prints for home furnishings. Aimée loves combining traditional and digital methods to produce bold, colourful and unique designs. Aimée is excited to be exhibiting at Blueprint NY in May with Dot & Flow for the second year in a row.

adelanedesign.com @a_delane_design

@aimeebrender

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HOBBY

eagles, was clearly terrified by the prospect of lifting up our floors. When we pushed him on the issue, he told us with the intensity of a witch cursing our newborn child, “Any flooring from the sixties is almost guaranteed to have asbestos in it.” Asbestos. I vaguely associated the substance with operating Bunsen burners in high school chemistry class, but I had no frame of reference that would explain this contractor’s refusal to even quote on the job. What was it about our unremarkable floors that could possibly provoke this remarkable reaction?

DEADLY PATTERNS T H AT N IG H T, L I K E S O M A N Y B E FOR E M E , I MADE THE MISTAKE OF GOOGLING AN UNKNOWN CONDITION.

STORY BY

BRENDAN HARRISON

Above: Armstrong’s embossed linoleum No. 5352 Right: Artistic, Elastic, Durable Linoleum trade card and an advertisement circa 1905. 110

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hen my wife and I bought a 1960s bungalow last summer, I admit that the cedar-panelled ceiling above our heads may have blinded us to the flaws beneath our feet. While the floors in the living and dining rooms were covered in standard-issue midcentury modern oak, the rest of our flooring reflected the period’s commitment to better living through chemistry. From the embossed terracotta linoleum at the entrance to the tan and red striated tiles in the bedroom to the kitchen’s “updated” 1970s faux wood grain sheet flooring, hard-wearing materials appeared everywhere expected to wear hard. Although an undeniably practical approach to home design, it was not entirely to our tastes. Which suited us just fine, as we planned on renovating the house from top to bottom. It wasn’t until we started interviewing contractors that we realized exactly what the “bottom” would entail. Where we viewed the flooring as being dated at best and tacky at worst, the contractor looked at them as if they were death incarnate. This burly man, arms covered with tattoos of flaming skulls and screaming

U P P E R C A S E

That night, like so many before me, I made the mistake of googling an unknown condition. As usual, the results were not comforting. Link after link confirmed that flooring of this era was often infused with asbestos in a myriad of ways—sometimes incorporated into the backing material, sometimes blended directly into the chemical soup that made up the substance, sometimes reinforcing the adhesives that held them down. But it wasn’t always this way. Linoleum was originally an all-natural product, invented in the 1850s as an alternative to the painted oil cloth floor coverings that had been popular since the early 1700s. When Englishman Frederick Walton noticed that the linseed oil that he was using to thin paints had a thick skin of solidified oil on top, he began experimenting with the rubbery substance. By 1860, he had filed a patent for a cushioned, comfortable floor covering made from a solidified mixture of linseed oil, flax, cork, wood flour and pigments, pressed between heavy rollers onto a canvas backing. By the turn of the century, linoleum was available in a wide array of highly patterned designs, imitating everything from marble to kilim rugs, and had become so commonplace that it evolved into a generic term. For over 70 years, linoleum remained the gold standard for hard-wearing floors. Then a new product was announced to great fanfare at the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. Vinyl composite tile was a plasticized polyvinyl chloride material that was touted as an affordable, resilient and easy-to-install flooring style. At that point, the ongoing Depression and outbreak of the Second World War delayed a wider adoption of vinyl flooring, but by the late 1940s, whether in sheet or tile form, vinyl flooring became the go-to for commercial and residential applications. Unfortunately for home renovators, it was also during this period that manufacturers began to incorporate asbestos into it, using the mineral’s long crystalline fibres to strengthen and add fire resistance. And who could fault them for wanting stronger floors that were less likely to burn? Any responsible homeowner would demand the same. If my wife and I were less picky about our finishes,

these very qualities would have ensured that we would be free to enjoy the faux brick vinyl in our basement for years to come. As long as asbestos-containing material stays intact, it is not a danger to anyone. The problems emerge when you try to remove it. Any material that contains asbestos is considered “friable”—meaning it can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by the pressure of an ordinary human hand. Which means the effort of removing asbestos-infused linoleum or vinyl flooring will almost certainly fill the air with thousands of tiny particles of asbestos. And the health effects of breathing in asbestos fibres, especially over a longer time frame, are frankly horrifying—fibrotic lung disease, changes in the lining of the chest cavity, increased risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma. Suddenly, our would-be contractor’s reaction was much easier to understand. I started calling around to get an idea of how much it would cost to test and remediate the 400 square feet of hellfire flooring. As the shockingly high quotes trickled in, I watched the terrazzo stone entranceway of our dreams disappear into thin air. Desperate, I started to look at online forums for advice on DIY asbestos remediation. Although forums are typically a rich vein for reinforcing the notion that your bad ideas are maybe not as bad as you think they are, this was the rare exception to that rule. The universal feedback was: don’t. Once again, I turned to Google, this time in search of industrial labs. I found a place down by the airport that would test my flooring for asbestos at $150 per sample. I cut out four chunks with a penknife (that I immediately, obsessively washed) and dropped them into Ziploc bags that I labelled with masking tape. After dropping them off at the lab, I waited for seven days with bated breath. Contrary to everything we had been told, our samples came back completely free of asbestos. You will not be surprised to learn that I didn’t seek out a second opinion. What may surprise you is that my wife and I ultimately decided to install Marmoleum, a modernday linoleum product, in our basement. We were drawn to the same qualities that made linoleum so appealing in the late 1800s—a hard-wearing, scuff- and waterresistant product made of natural raw materials. It is durable and sustainable, and stands out in a sea of luxury vinyl plank flooring as decidedly reminiscent of its deadly predecessors. Naturally, my wife was giddy to find white flooring with black speckles out of Marmoleum’s staggering 300 colour and design options. And I was happy that we were able to avoid the precarious process of remediation. Because wouldn’t you know it, there were a few other 1960s defects lying in wait for us. Renovations are definitely not for the weak of heart.

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S T U D I O S

Subscriber Studios

Peggy Dean PORTLAND, OREGON, UNITED STATES

Colour is a must in my life. When we purchased our first home, I knew I wanted a big colourful wall in my workspace and that I also wanted it to feel light and airy. I decided to blend the two styles by painting a wall mural that screams with character and vibrancy, while the rest of my office stayed accented in white. I am also surrounded by greenery! The more plants, the better. I find that staying true to my style allows for the ultimate productivity in my day. I swapped out the original flooring for some light laminates that the natural light from the window can bounce off of, making my space awake and inviting. I don’t like to feel confined, so I replaced the door with a bifold glass door, which I find to be quite darling. Who says twinkle lights can’t be in adult offices? Not me! So I’ve added some fairy lights in all of their glory, never to be turned off. I also feel that the warmth of lighting can change the way we approach projects, so I opted for Hue so I can warm it up and cool it down depending on what I’m working on. There are always pieces that we make as creators that really stand out to us. One of the first times in my career that I was given full creative freedom, I sourced what I loved most—colour. I created a custom design for a big shoe brand that included super bright, colourful flowers and leaves. When I was contemplating what I wanted to create on my wall, that project wouldn’t leave my mind because I loved that way it made me feel during and after the project, so I decided to recreate it in a grander scale (many of the flowers can even be found in my book Botanical Line Drawing). I also wanted to include my roots in the Pacific Northwest in the piece. When I was in my preteens, all of my avatars/nicknames/ handles were “blackrain” because it tends to be pretty dark and rainy in Oregon and Washington. I drew swatches of black rain with everything I could get my hands on—paint, ballpoint pens, pencils, you name it. So it naturally became the perfect marriage to blend it in with all of the colour. Even years into being encompassed by this design, I love it just as much as the day I first created it. Surrounding myself with this aesthetic not only makes me feel the most comfortable, but it constantly inspires me. I’ve been known to submerge myself in nature while writing, but I wrote my most recent manuscript entirely in this space (Nature Drawing and Watercolor). Creating a magical space that screams “you” is the only way to go. thepigeonletters.com @thepigeonletters

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Shannon Mary Butler FORT ST. JOHN, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

I am a potter living in northern BC. Up until recently I ran a store named kilnhouse studio outside my home, where I made and sold pottery. Since having a baby boy (Clyde Henry), life has changed ever so much and I’ve moved the studio to my wee garage. I am not a minimalist in any way, shape or form so this place is uber crammed with inspiration! I like to be surrounded by all the pretty things and this is definitely evident in my bedroom and house (which you won’t see here but just imagine a lot of plants, books, hats and earrings everywhere). My studio space is where I feel free to make it about my own personal inspiration and because of this I have tons of pictures posted to the wall. I’m inspired by art nouveau, flowers and jewellery, and the Virgin Mary and farmers and music and fashion and William Morris and so much more, especially things that are both pretty and rough in some way. The rest of the space is filled with shelves, a canvas-covered work table, the radio (so needed!), a heater for the cold minus 40 days, my potter’s wheel and couch for visitors or my dog Pearl. It’s handy for to me nip into the studio when Clyde has a nap and glaze for an hour or so, hopefully completing one mug to sell on my Instagram.

SARAH SOVERIGN PHOTOGRAPHY

kilnhousestudio.com @kilnhousestudio

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113

C OV E T

A Growing Appreciation

I PHOTOS AND STORY BY

ANDREA JENKINS

can see them now, the wallpaper books. Fat stacks of them sitting on the kitchen counter, scraps of paper jutting out. Over the course of a decade, my mother managed to cover nearly every wall in our house with wallpaper. To be fair, It was the eighties. It’s what people did—though her love for it seemed to transcend the trend, and she was never more hopeful than when poring through pages of samples, pages of stripes and florals and paisleys in shades of crème, gold, navy blue, dusty rose. I suppose she saw the same thing in those towering stacks as I do in the library books piled up next to my bed: possibility. I realize this now, though at age 15, I could not think of a more horrendous fate for walls. I never told her this, of course, how stuffy and stodgy and horrible I thought wallpaper was. Nor did I fight her when she inevitably came to paper the walls of my own room. However, I did secretly swear on my own life that I would never, ever like wallpaper. I think we all know what happens next. Add wallpaper to a long and growing list of things I have now officially embraced. Coffee. Avocados. Early mornings. Aged wood. Documentaries. Artichokes.

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Public radio. All things I did not appreciate at age 15— though it did take me a good while to come around. I don’t even know how or when it happened. I just know it happened and I like it. I might even love it. I pine for it, long to paper even one room in my own house. I may not pore through sample books like my mom did but I’ve certainly fallen down many an Internet vintage wallpaper rabbit hole. And it’s worth mentioning that most recently, I chose a vacation rental based solely on my love for the bathroom wallpaper. When I checked in, the first thing I did was pop in that little bathroom and swoon over that wallpaper. The colours, the pattern—everything about it was exactly right. As I ran my hands over it, I dreamt of papering my own walls with it. And I remembered the way my mom ran her hands over her own freshly wallpapered walls—the way she smoothed on long strips of paper, slowly, sheet by sheet, until completely ensconced in a repeating whirlwind pattern of stripes and flowers. The way she’d stand back and admire her hard work. And I wished I could go back in time and stand with her there and tell her: I love the wallpaper, Mom. I really do.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

patterns prints wallpaper William Morris maiolica Lisbon linoleum erasers experts Ruby Star rising

U PPERCA SE has the best readers in the world! Thank you for 10 years and many more to come.

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