Welcome to the third installment in our profile series of the top 8 designers in our Fabric8 Design Challenge, Dutch artist Miriam Bos! She shares how she combines design styles to create interesting textiles and how she connects with her creative community. Stay tuned for the rest of our designer profiles and get ready to vote for your favorite collection starting July 17th!
Describe your typical day as a designer.
During the week my day starts early around 6:30. I get up with my husband and we have breakfast together. When he leaves for work, I take my bike to the gym for a workout. When I am done I go home, take a shower and then my day as a designer really starts. I have an amazing studio that’s always sunny in the morning. After making a thermos with tea I check my to-do list and emails and Facebook. I might doodle a bit in my sketchbook when I have new ideas or I immediately continue on a project I was already working on and has a deadline.
It can be anything. I create pattern designs, but also work as an illustrator of (educational) children’s books. Sometimes I work on little personal projects like little paintings or gifts for people’s birthdays. Later during the day I take a break for lunch and if needed I take my bike (or walk) to the shopping mall nearby to pick up some groceries and get some fresh air. When I return I often continue working on a project until my husband comes home. We cook dinner together and watch a bit of tv. In most cases I have my sketchbook on my lap and am drawing & doodling while half watching tv. Then after an hour or so I would go back to my studio to do some last bits of work. Sometimes, when I have a with tight deadline, I work late. But I love doing my job.
Where do you interact most often with your design community?
I think I am most active on Facebook and Instagram, but I also love blogging. On Instagram I love to share photos of things that I create, or things that make me happy like our cats, flowers or other random things. When I post these photos, I also post them on Facebook where more people like to interact. On Facebook I am member of a couple of very inspiring art communities. They are filled with lots of lovely and talented people and it’s fun to see what they create, but I am not that active myself. That’s because all the social media can be so time consuming. I try to minimize it a bit otherwise I can’t get my work done in time.
What do you do to meet a tight deadline?
I try planning my deadlines carefully. But if there is no other option, I make myself a big thermos of tea, have some chocolate (optional and not quite healthy haha) and work late until the sun rises again. Those are long nights, but sometimes the best bit of planning can’t beat a deadline. But I always make my deadline in time!
Le Jardin Cosmique
How did you come up with your Fabric8 design?
I started brainstorming on the theme and decided I wanted to make a floral cosmic world with elements of space in it. Because it’s all fiction I wanted to create all kinds of weird looking flora. I wanted it to be whimsical and unearthly and still a bit spacey. I already knew I wanted to add a painterly element in it as well. If you look closely you see that I used ink spatters in the background. They resemble stars in the distance. And I also used some inked drawings and scanned these in to use in the design.
What's your favorite art medium?
I love working with my computer, but also really love painting and inking. When creating my designs I often combine the two techniques. I would draw some elements in ink and scan them to be used in a design. There is something lovely and delicate about the lines of inked drawings.
Who is one of your favorite visual artists, textile or otherwise, and why?
It differs from time to time. But currently I am in love with the works of arist Flora Bowley. It’s totally different then what I make. She creates these beautiful abstract paintings with a mixture of techniques and colours and materials. Personally I am not that great with creating abstract work like this. It’s hard for me to let go of the things I know and see. And when I see her work I admire it very much. It has a lot of energy to it and it’s uplifting.
What is your favorite song, album, or artist? Do you listen to music when you design?
I do love music, but I don’t often listen to it. If I do I would love to listen to 'Sky of Honey', from the CD box Aerial by Kate Bush. I love dreamy music that’s a tad bit weird too. When I'm at work I watch TV series most of the time. Or actually I ‘listen' to the TV series mostly, or I would not get any work done at all. And I love listening to e-books too. Having a story in the background helps me concentrate.
If you could meet any character from a film, who would it be?
Ehhh…. tough one. I think none to be honest. I love watching series and movies, but never really want to stand in their shoes or meet them. It’s not my world.
Where would you go if you could travel anywhere, and what is one thing you'd most like to see or do there?
I’d love to see bits of Australia and Japan sometime. It would be amazing to see places and be inspired with flora, fauna and culture. Ohh and I want to visit the Louvre in Paris sometime as well. And if I had the money I would definitely return to Schotland to meet up with a good friend of mine and see more places. Such a gorgeous country.
What do you think next year’s theme should be and why?
Hmm, maybe something with a holiday spirit? For me that’s a true challenge, because it’s hard to think of something really original and different in this market.
What are your plans if you win?
If I win it would definitely encourage me to do more in the fabric design business. I already took a plunge into it when I went to Surtex earlier this year, and it was a great experience. I really love this business and hope to be doing more in the future. It gives me lots of energy to work on fabric designs.
- Favorite color: Yellow
- Spirit animal: Eh, I actually did a quiz to find out, and the quiz said I am an owl!
- Favorite food: Sushi
- Place you’d most like to visit: Edinburgh or Paris with my mum
- Hometown: Apeldoorn, the Netherlands
- Favorite movie: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (or in the USA I believe the movie is called ‘Amélie')
- Dog or cat: Cat!
- Favorite season: Autumn. I love the colours and the smell of the forest. But Spring is also a big favourite when all colours look so fresh and crocus and daffodils pop up again.
Congratulations Miriam! You must have a high chance of winning – good luck 🙂
Great interview Miriam! Good luck for the rest of the competition, you really have worked so hard x
Ohh what fabric is the shirt she is wearing. I love it. I want it. 🙂
Miriam constantly blows me away with her stunning designs – her spot in the top 8 is well-deserved! Thanks for sharing, and good luck, Miriam! xo
Thanks so much Gabriella! Who knows, that would be amazing. But we’ll see because the finalists are a tough competition haha.
xxxx 😀
Thanks very much Zoe!! haha xxxx 😀
Aww thanks Leisa. That’s actually one of my own designs. I made that shirt with basic cotton fabric printed by Spoonflower.
Hi Emily, thanks so much! *^___^*
xx
So jelly of that beautiful office Miriam. Well done in getting to the finals. Good luck.
haha thank you so much. Yeah I am really so lucky with my studio. It’s a great space. Good luck to you too!
Congrats and good luck