It’s no secret that Spoonflower is the world’s largest marketplace of indie pattern designs (over 1 million designs and growing!), but did you know that you can print any design on our 20+ fabrics, 3 wallpaper offerings and on a growing collection of unique made-for-you home decor that you can’t find anywhere else? And, you can feel good knowing your purchase supports independent artists from around the world! Read below to get to know seven Spoonflower designers in this month’s edition of our Artist Spotlight series.

Meet the Featured Artists

List three fun facts about yourself:
After trying several .com domains, I ended up naming my studio Dani Teal, which is a combination of my name and my forever favorite color, teal. I’ve been working as an independent designer for ten years. Yet, some people still think I don’t work at all, and I love the fact that it often feels that way indeed. When I was a kid, I once won a samba dance competition in school; I was so determined to win the grand prize, which was a chocolate bar.

What does your creative process look like? 
It varies. Sometimes, when I have a design idea in mind, I will sit down and create it from scratch. While on some less creative days, I will use a systematic process where I collect image references from my photos. Firstly, I will hand paint the elements and then scan them to continue working on the repeat in Photoshop®. When the design is ready, I will generate a few colorways and upload them straight into my Spoonflower shop.

Where do you find inspiration? 
I challenge myself to see the beauty in every possible thing, which keeps me inspired every day. Nature, in its most lively forms, is my endless source of inspiration.

Best design tip?
Consistency is my best designing tip. There’s so much you can choose to do; you can design based on trends or not, using your favourite tools and methods. However, to succeed, you must be consistent and do a little bit every day.

Anything else you’d like to share?
Yes! Spoonflower was a game-changer for my career as a designer. Here, I found my niche, my audience, and my community. For the new designers out there, be sure to use this community to learn what works for you, experiment with different ideas, be yourself, and you’ll see amazing results.

List three fun facts about yourself:
I am a printmaker, bookmaker, and sewist. I love to make things with my hands.

What does your creative process look like?
Play is a very important part of my practice. I will pull out all my inks, paints, and supplies and just have fun like a little kid. It brings joy to my heart.

Where do you find inspiration?
I find my inspiration from collecting and researching fabrics and textiles from around the world such as Mud Cloth, Kente, Batik, Mola and Shibori.

Best design tip?
Keep practicing every day. You will be surprised at things you will learn about yourself and the art you make.

Anything else you’d like to share?
My designs on Spoonflower are from my hand-carved woodblocks and stamps.

List three fun facts about yourself:
I have more unfinished sewing projects than I’d like to admit. I collect vintage sewing patterns from the 1940s through the 1980s. One of my first sewing projects was making a mini skirt for a school disco out of a vintage pillow slip (safety pins were involved- sorry Mum!).

What does your creative process look like? 
It almost always starts with a photo of an interesting flower or foliage I’ve taken on a walk around my neighbourhood. I use an Apple Pencil and Adobe Draw® to capture the motif on my iPad before bringing them into Photoshop® to create the print repeat.

Where do you find inspiration?
Usually from my love of the natural environment, but also from music and art. 

Best design tip?
Don’t let other people’s opinions hold too much weight. While studying design, my teacher told me that my designs were too eccentric and maybe I should choose a different career. I took her advice and didn’t draw again for 20 years! Whatever you do, be strong in your own vision for your art.

Anything else you’d like to share?
The mock-up images are such an amazing resource for social media and marketing content.

List three fun facts about yourself:
My favourite sport is jumping from bed to couch that I practice mostly every Sunday. I basically learned—and am still learning—English by watching a lot of TV series and listening to music, but my favourite language is sarcasm. I discovered my passion for repeating patterns and textiles only after my architecture degree, but I always have drawn. My mom still has the first flowers that I ever drew when I was 3-years old.

What does your creative process look like?
It depends. If ideas come to me while I’m working on another project, I’ll stop and sketch the new idea on the first piece of paper I find; I begin with a pen then refine my drawing with my iPad. Otherwise, I start drawing directly with the tablet. I like to use different apps to find the right one, testing all sets of tools they can offer. I also choose a color palette before beginning my drawings, and after I finish, I import them on my laptop to arrange the designs into a pattern.

Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere: Social media, the world around me, often from architecture and design—I never know where the next inspiration will come from.

Best design tip?
Be curious about new tools and styles, but always remember to save.

Anything else you’d like to share?
In this very strange time, it’s important to avoid feeling overwhelmed by sadness or rage and find a way to do something that we really love. Even having a little hobby that can simply give a moment of peace for our mind.

List three fun facts about yourself:
I like to work with a big cup of hot chocolate but I almost always end up not drinking half of it! I love to dress up in bright colours regardless of what the fashion trend is. My kids think I’m the funniest person alive even though their standard is really low—mention a toilet joke and they’ll be roaring with laughter for the whole day!

What does your creative process look like?
I usually use my iPad to draw some random cute icons. It helps me find something I like without putting pressure on myself. I don’t use everything I create but when I stumble upon something cool, I get excited and start imagining a pattern for it. I choose a colour palette, add a few icons and a background, and I then go to Photoshop® to create a seamless pattern.

Where do you find inspiration?
I often go on walks and observe nature. Reading stories to my kids also sparks up my imagination. And, I like to scroll Instagram to see what other artists are doing—I never copy, but it inspires me to see such great work and gives me the boost I need to keep going whenever I’m feeling a bit deflated about my work.

Best design tip?
Do what you like! Don’t try to follow a trend. If you create something you truly enjoy, your passion will show through and you will attract unique people like yourself.

List three fun facts about yourself:
I’m half French, half Spanish. I love to sew and started knitting just this year and am now finishing my first sweater. I live with three cats who only want to play with the yarn! 🙂

What does your creative process look like?
I like to start by hand. Most of the time, I use watercolor or gouache to paint the shapes and then I go into Adobe Illustrator® to vectorize, color the artwork and make the repeat. Sometimes I draw directly on my iPad and export to Illustrator, which is always my final step. The most time-consuming part of my process is choosing colors. I love color and can spend hours with the recolor artwork tool. It’s so hard to come to a decision!

Where do you find inspiration?
I’m inspired by geometry, architecture and the simplest shapes of nature and everyday objects. 

Best design tip?
Don’t compare yourself, stay true to your voice. Try every style, every medium to find your best fit and stick to it. When you find your style, it just feels right.

Anything else you’d like to share?
Thank you for reading a bit about me and my art. 🙂

List three fun facts about yourself:
I have a kid’s apparel line called WillbirdBaby (@willbirdbaby). I design all the prints, and sew everything myself! This is the first time in almost 7 years that both of my kids are in school and I have my days to work. Funny enough, I felt more productive when I had to hustle hard every day. I’m an extroverted introvert. I could easily stay home for days and chill, but I’ll also be the first on board for a party or anything that will have me dancing until 2 am.

What does your creative process look like?
Sometimes I design fabric for a purpose or use in mind. (I’m usually designing with either kid’s apparel or home decor in mind). Most times I start with a loose idea. I usually draw out a few elements on Procreate, maybe a colour palette, and let things roll from there. I always hand draw everything on Procreate. I am not at all tech-savvy and have no idea how to design anything on the computer!

Where do you find inspiration?
I’m a collector. I collect inspiration from anywhere. Vintage florals are where my heart is at and are a major inspiration in my work.

Best design tip?
Don’t be afraid to play around with colours! I love mixing things up and using unexpected colours. I love it when something turns out completely different than I had envisioned. That’s ok! Everything is a process.

Anything else you’d like to share?
It’s been just over a year that I have been designing (and selling!) designs with Spoonflower. I just wanted to say a big thank you to this great company for creating such an important platform for artists. And to the customers, I am truly grateful for every yard, and even sample, that has been purchased.

Have a design business you want to take to the next level? From the benefits of participating in the Weekly Design Challenges to photography and social media tips, don’t miss our Spoonflower Seller Handbook series made for artists like you. And, for more behind-the-design moments, be sure to browse the complete Artist Spotlight collection.