Up-and-coming surface pattern designer Katerina Izotova joins us on the blog with her brilliant patterns full of whimsy and texture. Hailing from Moscow, Russia, Katerina draws daily inspiration from the world around her, bringing to life a unique vision of playful watercolor motifs where vibrant color work speaks for itself. We are absolutely swooning over Katerina’s design aesthetic and jumped on the opportunity to find out a bit more on how she moves through her creative process. Read on and get inspired!
My day starts with:
“Breakfast, coffee and ‘morning pages’; an idea I got from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way.”
I fell in love with design when:
“I spent one year in Italy studying Fashion Communication and Styling at Istituto Europeo di Design. My first education is in marketing and I worked for seven years in brand management before deciding to switch to a more creative work and life, which led me to watercolor illustration and pattern design.”
What’s in your toolbox?
“I have a big passion for watercolors, so my toolbox contains watercolors, brushes and some additional tools such as pencils, ink liner, etc. I follow the idea ‘less things – more focus’ and move towards minimalism as far as tools go.”
When I’m in my studio, I feel:
“Happy and grateful for being able to do what I really love.”
Who or what influences or inspires your work?
“I try to be open to everything around me and am inspired by visiting new places, meeting new people, window shopping home décor and fashion brands, and noticing interesting color combinations and patterns.”
What piece of your wardrobe best represents your style?
“Probably my white lace dress.”
If I could live in a painting, I would live in:
“A painting by Ukrainian artist, Evgenia Gapchinska. She creates very cute fairytale artwork.”
I’d love to see one of my designs turned into:
“A huge graffiti piece on a building.”
The secret to a strong collection is:
“Unique vision of the designer combined with modern trends.”
My mantra is:
“Do what you want and never stop growing.”
Who or what drew you to Spoonflower?
“I discovered Spoonflower on Instagram and decided to try it out. Designing patterns for fabric is my favorite direction in illustration.”
Want to connect? Indulge your senses by browsing Katerina’s bright and cheery watercolor designs or share the love by following Katerina’s work on Instagram.