Time Away

What an emotional, mentally exhausting few weeks we've had. Our daughter is currently midway through two heart surgeries in two different hospitals in Sydney. My husband and I have been by her side the entire time. I am so thankful that I have my creativity. It gives me a distraction so I don't always need to think about the realities of our situation. Being creative gives me time to process everything. Every day I've packed my little pencil case containing my sketchbook, eraser, black markers, lead pencil and my sharpener. And every day I've composed motifs and designs by her bedside as she recovers. Yesterday Morgan rested her hand on my knee while she dozed and I sketched. Today she was feeling much better so she helped me choose colours. By continuing with my daily art practice memories are made and some form of our normal life is present.

Analogue Designing

The Post-It Technique - Mirrored Repeat

Designers of the Arts and Crafts movement often used the mirrored repeat, also known as a turnover or reflected repeat. The technique flips a motif along a vertical axis, creating symmetry, balance and a lovely sense of rhythm across a design. Some well-known examples are William Morris’s Strawberry Thief and Snakeshead.

To create your own mirrored repeat you will need four Post-it notes:

Fold one of the post-it notes in half and draw something on one side of the fold

2. Trace the image on the other side of the note.

3. Transfer the mirrored image onto the other three notes and place them as shown to create a straight repeat.

4. Fill in the pattern to join one of the top notes with the bottom note.

5. Trace the 'reflection' and transfer the new elements to each post-it so all four are identical.

6. Fill in the gaps by adding details, one at a time.

7. Keep adding elements until you are happy with the flow.

TIP: Colour can heavily influence the success of a mirrored repeat. How you apply colour can make the repeat more obvious and, unless that is what you are aiming for, can become a problem. To help overcome this issue, try adding colour to your post-its in different ways to see how it will influence the repeat.

'Daily Rituals: How Artists Work' by Mason Currey

What a great pick-up and put-down book. 'Daily Ritual: How Artists Work' by Mason Currey explores the daily routines and working habits of more than 160 creative people, from writers and artists to composers and designers. It looks at the small rituals, routines and environments they use to make space for creativity and get their work done. Well known creative thinkers and does such as Mozart, Beethoven, Benjamin Franklin, Jane Austen, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Maya Angelou, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Schultz, Twyla Tharp are included. I'm finding it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

'Art & Surface' Magazine

Art & Surface is a online quarterly magazine produced by Jodoin Studio (Manon Jodoin). It's written with surface designers, painters, illustrators, photographers and quilters in mind - 'for every artist who builds a creative life on their own terms'. It's a Canadian publication so each article is printed in French and English. Recently the magazine asked for applications from creatives to discuss how they work in collections. I'm thrilled to say I have been asked to be featured in another article to be published in early 2027.

I have found that the magazine is well worth a read, and it is very reasonably priced, so if you're interested head over to their website.

The Paisley Motif

The paisley motif is one of those designs that seems to have travelled through centuries and cultures while never really going out of fashion. I can remember my mother having a paisley scarf in burnt oranges and burgundy when I was a child. I bought an Ikea quilt cover for my daughter about 15 years ago. It's paisley motifs feature beautiful tan, brown and blues. It is still one of my favourite quilt covers.

With its distinctive curved, teardrop shape, the paisley motif has been used in textiles, wallpaper, ceramics and decorative arts, and has been interpreted in countless different ways. Its origins can be traced to Persian and Indian textiles, before becoming hugely popular in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly through the production of Kashmir shawls. What I find so interesting is how versatile the shape is — it can be delicate and intricate, bold and graphic, traditional or completely contemporary, depending on how it is drawn and arranged.

Hand-Finished Notebooks

I found a pack of reasonably priced brown kraft paper notebooks on Amazon and have begun transferring some of my designs on them with my acrylic markers. I've fallen in love with the process. Here are a few I've finished and will list on Etsy and on Made It here in Australia once life returns to normal.

As you can see, some of my acrylic markers turn out quite vivid on brown paper.

Sketchbook Pages

Here are some more of my sketchbook efforts. I'm still enjoying the process!

Some of my favourite acrylic markers had started to wear out so I treated myself to a new set. But which ones? There are now hundreds of brands to choose from when it comes to finding the right acrylic pens. I turned to Google for help and found Sarah Renae Clarke had tested over 1800 different pens. Her video interesting to watch.

I finally chose the 120 set of Arrtx markers as I've loved the original Arrtx set I purchased. I am really happy with this new set too.

Fabric Collection Release

My next fabric collection, Time and Grace, is scheduled for release in the next few months. My hero print, Florence, named after my grandmother, is a mirrored repeat, as is Harmony. As the collection is inspired by the designs of William Morris, I spent some time studying some of his most successful designs and looking closely at how he used mirrored repeats to create such beautiful, balanced patterns. But of course, I had to include some trailing florals too!

The Principle of Five

I’ve been thinking about the 'Principle of Five' that Bärbel teaches. It is always in the back of my mind and I believe it has made a significant change in the way I work. But as I work on my next collection, I am applying it not only to individual motifs, but to individual designs as well. It's certainly slowing up the process, but I want to create the best collection I can. Creating each version will hopefully give me an opportunity to see the subject differently, make small changes and discover something I might never have thought of in the first attempt. Sometimes the fifth version really is better than the first - and sometimes it leads me somewhere completely unexpected. There’s something quite freeing about remembering that we don’t have to get it right the first time. We just have to keep making.

Until next time,