Artist Spotlight: 11 Artists to Keep an Eye on This Month

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 21 May 2024

Artist Spotlight: 11 Artists to Keep an Eye on This Month

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, our 3 wallpaper offerings and on a growing collection of unique made-for-you home decor that you can't find anywhere else. Read below as eight designers from the Spoonflower Marketplace share a behind-the-scenes look at their work, their favorite design tools, and the things that inspire them most.
Featured designs Behind every design on Spoonflower is an independent artist from around the world. 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, our 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 eleven Spoonflower designers in this month's edition of our Artist Spotlight series. Meet the Featured Artists Jasmine RoscoeLocation: United StatesDesign Style: Simple, feminine, and playful Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandma in her sewing room. She continues to have an incredible sewing business, and to this day she is my biggest inspiration for pursuing design. List three fun facts about yourself:Jasrese is a hybrid of my first and middle name: Jasmine and Terese. Everyone who knows me knows I am a huge Beyoncé fan. One of my dreams is to design a costume for her. And lastly, I love seeing the imperfections in art and that is the main reason almost all of my designs have a hand-drawn element. In my everyday life, I am a perfectionist, but the little bit of ruggedness in a pattern reminds me that something doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. Tips for designing in collections?Choose a color palette before you start designing; play around with scale, color, and placement of the same motif across multiple designs; and don’t underestimate the power of changing one thing. Shop Jasmine's Spoonflower Shop Ria GreenLocation: South AfricaDesign Style: Happy, cheerful, bright and colorful, with a mix of hand-drawn and vector elementsIG Handle: @_riagreen_ Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:Watching my sister fight and survive breast cancer made me realize that I needed to follow my dreams! And here I am, doing just that! List three fun facts about yourself:I'm an avid mountain biker, I had a successful photography studio and specialized in newborns, and I love fresh fruit but cannot stand any sort of baked or heated fruit! Tips for designing in collections?First, write down the story/idea you want to design, then start gathering inspiration (e.g. go for leisurely walks or visit the library), take your time with these first two steps. Only then start sketching and take it from there. It will flow naturally, if you don't rush the first two steps, and will give you enough inspiration to work with for a whole collection! Shop Ria's Spoonflower Shop Kate RheesLocation: United StatesDesign Style: Clean lines and bold colors, with a touch of retro and whimsyIG Handle: @katerhees Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:Attending Surtex, the annual trade show for the surface design industry, where I finally found my people and met other artists (including Andie Hannah, who was the first person to tell me I could actually do this). List three fun facts about yourself:I eat (almost exclusively) tons of vegetables and tons of candy. I'm completely incapable of not dancing when I hear music (It's Raining Tacosplay it loud, I dare you to not dance). And, I'm a realist without a filter, my superpower is saying the thing no one else will. Tips for designing in collections?I always need a story to design a collection, then each piece of the collection becomes a detail of the story. Shop Kate's Spoonflower Shop Priscilla Adei-CardwellLocation: AustraliaDesign Style: Vibrant, colourful, African inspired, and multilayered with geometric elementsIG Handle: @cardwellandink Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:A few years ago, I was on holiday in Ghana with my family, walking around the Makola Market—which is a huge market in the centre of Accra—to purchase wax print Ankara fabrics. I spent three hours in the heat to find the exact colour combinations and pattern style that I had in my mind's eye to design some dresses. That night, I woke up in the middle of the night and had an epiphany that I should be creating my own textiles with the designs and colours that are always dancing around in my head. From that day, I set myself on a path to upskill and educate myself in surface pattern design and begin the journey of making that dream a reality. List three fun facts about yourself:I was born in Australia and have lived on 4 continents (Australia, Africa, North America and Europe) by the time I was 18 as my Dad was a diplomat and it gave me a wonderful upbringing and appreciation of different cultures. I have a Masters in Teaching and I am using my skills in education to develop a series of Skillshare classes for artists and designers using the iPad pro. I designed both my sister's wedding dress and my own wedding dress for my traditional wedding. In Ghanaian culture, where my family originates from, you have two weddings; traditional wedding and a white wedding. Tips for designing in collections?I think it is important to work with a theme and create mood boards of the elements and ideas that relate to it. From that point, create a colour palette for the theme. I use Procreate® on my iPad Pro like a mobile pinboard. I am always taking photos or doodling ideas into a digital canvas so I always have my ideas in one location that I can access easily. I also try to learn from others in the field by taking classes to constantly refine my techniques. The beautiful thing about textile design is that versatility is an asset, so I am always challenged to keep expanding my artistic skills and portfolio. Shop Priscilla's Spoonflower Shop Wendy, Jane and Renée Goodwin Location: AustraliaDesign Style: Wide-ranging and eclectic! We each bring our individual style Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:A decade ago we moved house from a suburban location in the city of Adelaide, South Australia, to a relaxed, leafy setting in the Adelaide Hills. We had a garden before, but now we are literally immersed in nature, surrounded by bushland reserves that extend beyond our own property. From our back terrace, we are met every morning by an inspiring and delightful panoramic view, overlooking the Sturt River Gorge. It was this change of scenery that motivated us to embark on our current creative path—leaving behind academic careers to embrace our true artistic passions. We are now able to devote ourselves full-time to photography, art and design, and work from home. Two years ago we launched our Brave New Art brand on , which began with our collective vision for eco “wearable art” scarves and accessories that capture the colour, beauty, and wonder of our natural world. List three fun facts about yourself:We are a mother/daughters design team and best friends! We live together in the Adelaide Hills, Australia, surrounded by flora and fauna that inspire us endlessly—koalas, kangaroos, lizards, birds and more. Tips for designing in collections?Keep your eyes open for new ideas; inspiration can come from anywhere. We like to offer a variety of styles. With most of our designs, we create a range of “coordinates” that can be used for complementary purposes in sewing projects, like backing or lining. This can include greyscale options as well as inverse and alternative colourways. As a specific example, our Shirley's Australiana Quilt design (named after our mother/grandmother who was a prolific quilter) we also offer black and white versions. And, for versatility, we also like to offer 2 or 3 different size scales (here's one), to illustrate what a design would look like when used for various projects—from large decor items like bedspreads to smaller items like napkins. Shop Brave New Art's Spoonflower Shop Lori Rudolph Location: CanadaDesign Style: My style is retro-inspired, but with my own personal twistIG Handle: @retro_rudolphs Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:In my second year of College (for graphic design) one of my teachers pointed out that I incorporated illustration in most of my assignments. This statement made me realize that I wanted to draw for a living and reignited my passion for surface pattern design List three fun facts about yourself:I am a surface pattern design junkie. I am either enrolled in and/or participated in most of the online design courses currently available. I named my dog Finnegan and one of my cats Casey after two puppets that were in a Canadian children’s television show called Mr. Dressup. One of my Spoonflower designs (Mid Century Modular TV screens ~ Mandarin Creme) was used on Sesame Street, but I don’t know which episode it appeared on. Tips for designing in collections?Start by choosing a theme. Brainstorm and/or make a list of everything you can think of that relates to the theme. Sketch and design more motifs than you think you will need. Keep in mind that any motifs not included in your ‘hero’ pattern are fair game for coordinates. Choose a good colour palette— one that includes neutrals, medium and darker tones. Try to vary the scale of your motifs, placement, and the direction of those motifs in your patterns as quilters will appreciate a well-rounded, thoughtful collection. Lastly, have FUN and create the patterns you would want to purchase yourself. Shop Lori's Spoonflower Shop Michele Payne Location: United KingdomDesign Style: Fun, graphic designs and cute characters, with a playful feelIG Handle: @michelepnoo Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:Attending art college straight out of school was so inspiring and encouraging. I feel lucky that tutors guided me towards textile design. I've also found Lilla Roger's art bootcamp really great as a creative boost over the past few years. List three fun facts about yourself:I kitchen disco with my six-year-old son on a regular basis, usually to Kraftwerk or Queen. I used to play drums in an alt-punk band. I've moved house over 50 times! Tips for designing in collections?For a coherent collection, it's important to start with a strong mood board and colour palette; something that feels right for you. From there, I usually create icons or characters directly in Illustrator or hand-draw and scan them in for the 'hero' print. For the other designs in the collection it's good to play with scale, print direction and ground space, whilst always staying true to the concept. Shop Michele's Spoonflower Shop Lauren S.Location: United StatesDesign Style: A love of what came before reimagined for the presentIG Handle: @sultryvintage Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:There have been so many, but the biggest ones were being young and having adults give me, not only free reign, but encouragement to chase creativity. Especially when you're young that's incredibly important. So often we discourage people from pursuing the arts and I'm lucky that I never experienced that and I think it's one of the biggest defining aspects of my life as an artist—that not only is it important to chase the arts but it's a worthwhile profession that deserves respect and artists should be able to thrive. Knowing this from a young age has allowed me to prioritize my creativity as an adult. List three fun facts about yourself:I was a surf instructor at the Hotel Del in Coronado (where Some Like it Hot was filmed.) I've published a novel. I'm a 6th generation floral designer. Tips for designing in collections?I always recommend a sketchbook. Not anything that has to be polished or for anyone but you, but somewhere where ideas can mingle until you find a common thread, then actively build from them. Shop Lauren's Spoonflower Shop Ashley SummersLocation: United StatesDesign Style: Fun, bright, and nature-inspiredIG Handle: @ashleysummersdesign Share a defining moment that shaped your creative path:Taking Bonnie Christine's Immersion course this year was a game-changer! I learned so much about pattern design and finding my inner creative voice. List three fun facts about yourself:I'm ambidextrous. I love buying and collecting coloring books, but I hardly ever actually color in them! Prior to designing fabric, I used to sew and sell baby clothing. That's how I discovered my passion for pattern design! Tips for designing in collections?Gather lots and lots of inspiration prior to starting your collection! I like to go on long walks with my family and take pictures of everything I see. Pull colors from the pictures you've taken to create a unique color palette. Shop Ashley's Spoonflower Shop Want to get to know more artists from the Spoonflower family? Browse the entire Meet the Artists series here. Or, brush up on skills that will help your design business grow with our Seller Handbook series. Before submitting your application, be sure to read How to Apply for the Small Business Grant