UPPERCASE #49

49 for the

featur in g th e

S U R FAC E PA T T E R N DESIGN GUIDE

C R E AT I V E and

CURIOUS fo ur th editio n

pat te r n s of beaut y

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Dear Reader, There is beauty—and truth—to be found in patterns.

Patterns of behaviour shape who we are; repeated thoughts and actions can be our strength and, sometimes, our weakness. Our patterns are both deeply personal and also universal.

The complexity of our human existence has been recorded in the patterns of our garments, crafts, products and built environments over millennia.

Our heritage and histories can be read on these artifacts and remnants as we continue to be informed and inspired by the past. Artistic expressions of self and of culture continue to be passed on across generations.

Over time and across many hands, new aesthetic preferences emerge.

There are trends in thematic motifs, colour palettes and mood.

Patterns created for commerce graphically illustrate who we aspire to become through our decorated environment.

Pattern designers engage in an art fundamentally rooted in optimism: that there will always be more—more things of beauty, more objects of utility, more time and, always, more beauty.

Ja n i n e Vango ol P U B L I S H E R , E D I TO R , D ES I G N E R

There’s more to love in this special issue— it has 16 extra pages!

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My fabric with Windham Fabrics, entitled Breaking News, is now available in stores. Share what you make #uppercasefabric.

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Contents 49

P O L I N A O S H U R K O VA S E E PA G E 2 2

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Editor’s Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Subscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Snippets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

TOG ETHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Ancestral Inspiration: Reflections from Indigenous Pattern Designers

by Joy Deneen Featuring Destiny Seymour, Ay Lelum, Native Knits and Brenda Lee Asp

A RT BY N I N A CV I J OV IĆ

Welcome

4 S U R F A C E PA T T E R N DESIGN GUIDE

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WORTHWHILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Fine Print

Kei & Molly Textiles

by Amelia Woodbridge

LIBRARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

ORIG IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Recommended Reading

Ready-to-Wear Art: Scarves, Headwraps & Bandanas

by Liz Logan

BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Defining Your Core Values

by Arianne Foulks illustration by Andrea D’Aquino

BEING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Patterns of Behaviour

by Meera Lee Patel

FRESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Lauren O’Neill

ABECEDARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Pattern Designers Past and Present

by Jane Audas

EPHEMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Glamorous Soap Labels

by Mark E. Sackett

Art & Design SKETCHBOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Polina Oshurkova: The Strength of a Whisper

by Andrea Marván

Opportunity Partners and Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

PAINTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Portfolios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Pooja Pittie: In the Midst of Abundance

by Claire Dibble

Industry Experts

Craft

Heather Moore Skinny LaMinx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

STITCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Jen D’Angelo nooworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Beadwork by Elias Not Afraid, Jaymie Campbell, Maureen Callihoo Ligtvoet, Shannon Gustafson and cover artist Madison Rae Holler

Misc.

HOBBY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Patterns of Play

by Brendan Harrison

SUBSCRIBER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Carole Fenwick

STYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Katie Kortman: Sew Happy Colour

by Leigh Metcalf

Shares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Windham Fabrics Winner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Lilla Rogers Make Art That Sells . . . . . . . . . . 44

Michelle Engel Cloud9 Fabrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Sophie Tatlow & Bruce Slorach Utopia Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Rachael King Pattern Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Misha Zadeh Designer & Illustrator . . . . . . . . . 80 Mitch Nash Blue Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

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UPPERCASE Circle . . . . . . . . . . . 129

DISCOVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

COVET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

The Psychology of Pattern

by Danielle Ridolfi

What Washes Up

by Andrea Jenkins

SURFACE PATTERN DESIG N GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Featuring Homebody Textiles, Edith Rewa, Nicky Ovitt, Karen Mabon, Mercedez Rex, Supra Endura, Skye McNeill and Hemlock Goods

April / May / June 2021 uppercasemagazine.com

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C O N T R I B U TO R

U P P E R CAS E 201B – 908, 17th Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 0A3

Janine Vangool P U B L I S H E R , E D I TO R , D E S I G N E R

janine@uppercasemagazine.com C U STO M E R S E RV I C E

shop@uppercasemagazine.com

Correy Baldwin C O PY E D I TO R

Core Contributors Jane Audas Correy Baldwin Andrea D’Aquino Arianne Foulks Joy Deneen Glen Dresser Brendan Harrison Andrea Jenkins Linzee Kull McCray Andrea Marván Kerrie More Emily Orpin Meera Lee Patel Lydie Raschka Christopher Rouleau

Thank you to all of the talented writers, illustrators, creative collaborators and loyal readers who contributed their talents to this issue of UPPERCASE.

Danielle Ridolfi is an illustrator and graphic designer from St. Louis, Missouri. With both a BFA in graphic design and a PhD in clinical psychology, Danielle takes a human-centred approach to her work, striving to create design solutions that promote learning, curiosity and positive emotions. Her design work has been featured at AIGA Saint Louis, Type Hike: Arch and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Given her love of writing, she has several ideas for children’s books up her sleeve and is also excited to have the opportunity to be a contributing writer for UPPERCASE. When she is not writing or illustrating, you can find Danielle baking in her kitchen or hiking in the woods, hunting for inspiration for her next illustration.

DanielleRidolfi.com @dani_ridolfi

P RI NTE D I N CA N A DA BY T H E P R O L I F I C G R O U P.

Interior pages are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled Rolland Enviro 100.

Give this magazine a long life!

The content is evergreen, so we hope you’ll revisit it over and over again. If you’re done with it, please pass it on to a friend or colleague who might enjoy our content, or cut up the pages and create some art.

We plant a tree with every subscription. treeera.com

In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3) and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

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Snippets sew it yourself!

M A K E I T FAS H I O N

Wildflower Delivery Co. Emily Parkinson and Amelia Brown SA N F R A N C I SC O, CA L I FO RN I A , USA

W

e are Emily Parkinson and Amelia Brown, co-founders and designers of Wildflower Delivery Co. We build modern sewing kits that include everything one needs to complete beautiful sewing projects, along with step-by-step videos to guide a new sewer through the construction process.

We wanted to create something that invited people to engage with their creativity, feel encouraged to learn new skills and create a beautiful piece that they would feel proud of and cherish.

One of our least favourite parts of sewing is the cutting stage—it can be intimidating, print-at-home patterns are time consuming to put together and require access to a printer, it takes a large dedicated area, and if you mess something up or aren’t really precise it can set the whole project off on the wrong foot. To eliminate this whole step and set sewers up for success, we developed paperless patterns, in which the cut template is printed directly onto the fabric in the size and style that they choose.

The other aspect of home sewing that we have always been disappointed in is the extreme lack of beautiful bold textile prints on natural apparel fabrics like linen.

For our own wardrobe, we design and screen print our own fabrics, but we wanted to make these designs available to a wider audience at a lower cost. We design the textile prints by hand and then use digital printing to print both the pattern template and our original botanically inspired textile prints on the cloth.

THIS IS A LOW RES PREVIEW OF A HIGH QUALITY Q U A R T E R LY P R I N T M A G A Z I N E We launched our kits on Kickstarter and are in the process of fulfilling these preordered kits. Our big dream is to break down the barriers of entry to sewing, making it accessible, fun, beautiful and cool to sew.

We want our generation to regain the skill of sewing and be empowered to make things with their own two hands. wildflowerdeliveryco.com

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FOOD FOR THOUG HT

Celebrating the Rural Caribbean Aliyah Campbell has created a series of botanical patterns to raise interest in gardening and buying local foods in Jamaica. “My family is from rural Jamaica, where I’ve visited many times throughout my childhood,” she says. “Like many Caribbean countries, Jamaica relies heavily on imported foods, which in turn damages the local economy.”

Her prints are based on local plants grown for food in Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean, like the breadfruit, pictured here. “This topic is important to me because it puts farmers, gardeners and rural heritage at the forefront—something that doesn’t happen enough. Without their knowledge, we would not be able to survive, and it’s important that we as a society remember that.” alynaomie.com

A M E R I C A N FA B R I C S M A G A Z I N E As a magazine publisher, looking at this old issue of American Fabrics from spring 1952 makes me envious!

It was published quarterly by Reporter Publications, Empire State Building, New York City. The magazine was founded in 1946 and was published for 40 years, ceasing publication in 1986. The magazines capture the zest and creativity (and seeming invincibility) that was fashion in America during this time period.

In 1952, a single issue’s cover price was $3; a year’s subscription was $10.

Created for the commercial trade, it was lavish and informative, with a large-format flamboyance befitting the fashion industry. At 14.5 inches tall by 11 inches wide, the editorial team had an ego to match: “American Fabrics is dedicated to the belief that Fashion begins with the Fabric… that the American textile industry casts a major influence on the economic and social aspects of the world in which we live and that it has deservedly attained the world’s pinnacle from which it can never be dislodged. To all who work within or with the industry this volume number twenty-one of American Fabrics is offered as a measure of help, of service… and, we hope, of inspiration.”

Each edition included dozens of fabric samples that were inserted and glued in by hand, so that one could experience a textile at one’s fingertips. Although typically printed in a single colour, with some fullcolour advertisements on the inside covers and front of the magazine, individual colour photographs were tipped on otherwise black-and-white pages, and a variety of paper stocks were used to add to the textural experience. This particular cover appears to have been silkscreened onto the thick cover stock.

–J A N I N E

VA N G O O L

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B LO C K P R I N T I N G

pattern books House of Print: A Modern Block Printer’s Take on Design, Colour and Pattern M O L LY M A H O N

Molly Mahon is a British printmaker whose simple, whimsical prints adorn papergoods, fabrics and homewares. She began simply at her kitchen table making prints at home, but soon she was receiving commissions to make wallpaper for others. Ignited by the demand, and a desire to know more, she went to Jaipur to learn more from the skilled block printers of India where many of her products are now printed.

Her book describes her influences, inspirations and creative process both from India and closer to home in East Sussex. There are rudimentary projects to get your block printing interest piqued, and while the text is fairly minimal, the beautiful imagery is engaging. As Molly writes in her introduction, “I can express myself using pattern and colour much more easily than I can with words.” mollymahon.com

RECOMMENDED READING BY

j a n i n e va ng o o l

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L I B R A R Y

A R M C H A I R T R AV E L

D ECA D E S O F C O LO U R

T I M E T R AV E L

Patterns of India: A Journey Through Colors, Textiles & The Vibrancy of Rajasthan

A Colorful Life: Gere Kavanaugh, Designer

C H R I ST I N E C H I T N I S

& K AT CAT M U R

A N D G I OVA N N A F E R R A R I S ( I L LU ST R ATO R )

For the past decade, author and photographer Christine Chitnis has travelled frequently to India, as she and her husband and children explore her Canadian-born husband’s family heritage.

Gere Kavanaugh is profiled in this retrospective of the California designer, born in 1929. The heydays of her career were the exuberant 1960s and 1970s, when she designed events, interiors, furniture and fabrics. The book is an interesting look at that era’s styles, fashion and colour palettes through the lens of one designer, and also, perhaps inadvertently, a poignant depiction of aging—it is so rare to see photographs of a career woman throughout the decades.

By making flat, graphic interpretations of the patterns found on the garments and interiors depicted in paintings from 400 years of art history, this book looks at paintings by the Old Masters in a new, refreshing way. The concept is by author Francesca Leoneschi, who began “collecting” interesting details from paintings many years ago. “Whenever I noticed that a piece of art showed some exciting feature, I would take a picture of it. After deconstructing a painting in this way, by focusing solely on some of its intricate features, I would feel the urge to reassemble its parts into a new form.” The result is patterns reproduced or interpreted from these art sources, using motifs and colours directly pulled from history, illustrated by Giovanna Ferraris.

Through photography, Christine documents the details of her visits, capturing vivid scenes and intimate details of the artisans, markets and architecture of the country. This is a beautifully designed photography book, with a cloth spine debossed with metallic foil adding a lovely tactility and elegance to the experience. Inside, the book is arranged by colour: Sandstone, Marigold, Rose, Ivory and Royal Blue are chapters than divide your journey through Rajasthan in colourful splendour. christinechitnis.com

LO U I S E SA N D H AU S

There are ample quotes from colleagues and clients throughout the book, but the book lacks in first-person anecdotes from Gere herself. The authors acknowledge the book took three years to write and that Gere was always “at the ready with tea, cookies and a steady laugh”—I wish there was more of that spirit in the text.

The book concludes with photos of Gere at home in a wonderful floral dress with a print of her own design. “One lifetime is not enough!! Even if you try,” declared Gere in a print she editioned in 2010. papress.com

Patterns in Art: A Closer Look at the Old Masters

BY F R A N C E S CA L EO N E S C H I ( AU T H O R )

Commentary about each painting is provided opposite a composition of patterns and borders inspired by the art.

Patterns in Art demonstrates that surface design has longevity—and that decoration can speak to us across centuries. abbeville.com

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B U S I N E S S

STO RY BY

a r ia nne foul ks

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y

a nd re a d’aquino

W

hile things change about my business, there are a few elements that have been there from the start.

One of these is our set of core values, which never seem to need adjusting or revisiting.

Core values are the guiding principles for your company, and can help you make business decisions. If you know that one of your values is to be earth-conscious, for example, that will help you choose which packaging companies to work with. You can evaluate any business partnership to see if the relationship is a good match.

When you have a team, the idea is to hire, fire, review and recognize people based on your values. Looking back at employees who ended up not being a good fit, I can easily point to the core values of ours that they didn’t share. Once I defined these values in writing, it went from being a gut feeling about who would be a good match to something I could clearly see.

Core values are also important as far as communicating who you are to potential customers. You will likely find that the customers who end up shopping with you share at least some of your values. Having explicit values for your company makes it easier to know what to share with your customers and how to word it in your marketing. |||

How to develop a description of your core values

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I had been in business for over a decade before I sat down to write out what our core values were. Since I have a team of employees, I thought about what they do to make our work well crafted and what makes them a joy to work with.

It turned out I’d been attracting and retaining people who had pretty similar values to my own. You may discover the same thing about your business. Whether you run your

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E P H E M E R A

glamorous soap labels

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Art & Design

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lively tempo of the music. But polka dots didn’t stop there—we see them sprinkled into fashion, home décor and children’s toys to this day, usually with a nod to nostalgia. For some, polka dots may bring up the joys of childhood picnics or a fond memory of their grandmother’s favourite dress. Each pattern contains infinite possibilities for interpretation and infinite avenues for joy based on our own experiences, history and psychology.

The repeat structure of patterns is, in large part, what allows them to function as a soothing device.

Repetition, and in particular the naturally occurring organic forms found in fractal patterns—the complex and infinitely repeating pattern structure found in objects like snowflakes and flowers—has a profoundly positive effect on our stress level. Visually tracing the same shape over and over again provides a soothing enjoyment via complex mechanisms in the eye and brain. Likely, given humans’ extensive history with seeing fractal patterns in nature, we have developed a familiarity with these patterns that translates to psychological comfort and peace. As with most aspects of life, we feel the most safe and at ease within familiar surroundings.

The comfort we gain from patterns also comes from their predictability. Unlike the ups and downs of the external world, with patterns, we know what happens next. Looking a few inches in either direction can provide a satisfying visual resolution. Thus, the act of creating a pattern helps us to gain some small sense of control over our environment. Regardless of whether our patterns turn out to be as engaging as Kusama’s dots or just a page of mindless marks, creating them allows us to tap into the psychological power of routine.

We also choose many patterns for the simple but no less noble reason that they bring us joy. From William Morris’s mission to bring the delight of nature indoors with his wallpaper patterns to Marimekko’s goal of eliciting confidence through fashion, creating positive emotions has always been a priority for pattern designers. With their captivating colours, textures and historical references, patterns encapsulate countless ways to unlock our memories and emotions.

THIS IS A LOW RES PREVIEW OF A HIGH QUALITY Q U A R T E R LY P R I N T M A G A Z I N E Take the polka dot, for instance, perhaps one of the most common and simple surface patterns. Polka dots seem to have popped up in fashion at around the time of the polka music craze of the mid-1800s, with the fun, carefree pattern perhaps reflecting the

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Patterns are such an effective vessel for good feelings because of the brain’s remarkable ability to associate visual information with emotions. When our primitive ancestors saw certain patterns on a snake or on the leaves of poisonous plants, they immediately became fearful. After countless experiences associating particular patterns with stomach aches or worse, they had become conditioned to feel certain emotions in response to specific visuals. We use that same strategy today, albeit in an opposite way, creating patterns that we associate with beloved places, objects or situations, such that the pattern starts to act as a joyfully suitable replacement for those things.

For instance, William Morris created elegant organic designs reminiscent of nature, and when people decorated their homes with his designs, even city dwellers could experience the contentment and peace of sitting in a country garden. Other patterns may remind us of places only in our own imaginations. Patterns have a wondrous ability to transport us in mind and spirit to any destination, physical or emotional. While some of this power may exist naturally, a lovely remnant of our primitive past, each of us infuses our patterns with a psychological power, as well as with the stories we lovingly bring to them.

Humans once relied on patterns for our daily survival, making them a fundamental aspect of our consciousness. We lean on patterns still, no longer as a survival mechanism, but as a tool to enhance our psychological well being through beautiful and moving emotional experiences. Within their intricate and beautiful structures, patterns possess a natural psychological balm, with their comforting repetition, mesmerizing puzzles and nostalgic stories that sooth our minds, distract us from our troubles and remind us of happier places and times.

Although selecting a pattern for our clothing or décor may seem superficial, each interaction with a pattern triggers countless memories, neural pathways and opportunities for wonder. So the next time you see an elegant floral dress, a bold tile mosaic or even the mesmerizing wings of a butterfly perched in your garden, take a moment not just to look, but also to feel. You will be rewarded with far more than meets the eye. Your brain will be in for a real treat.

4 S U R F A C E PA T T E R N DESIGN GUIDE

fo ur th editio n

Deciding on which submissions to include in print is about visual and aesthetic considerations with the intention of highlighting both unique styles and new perspectives while also showing a snapshot in time of trends and fashion. Among these selections, you will find seasoned designers and brand new artists, as well as a diversity of people from various backgrounds and points around the globe.

Here I am holding Breaking News, my fourth collection with Windham Fabrics.

S U R FA C E PAT T E R N DESIGN GUIDE C OVE R A RT BY

Within this guide, there’s a lot to learn about pattern design, both from the interviews with experts and from studious observation of the portfolios. If this issue opens up the possibilities of surface pattern design for you, I look forward to including your portfolio in the next edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide.

I have learned a great deal by reviewing over 5,000 submitted patterns and would love to share my insights with you. Look for the video posted on the UPPERCASE website!

Blue Q PORTFOLIO REVIEW + G IFT

BlueQ selected Gabriela Larios as their favourite artist who will receive a BlueQ mega swag gift prize and get personal feedback on their portfolio.

BlueQ.com

jennafreimuth.com

I appreciate every hopeful and talented artist who entered this fourth edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide.

With over 850 entrants, it was quite a puzzle to narrow it down to just 100 artists to feature—especially since I could clearly see everyone’s effort and enthusiasm.

gabrielalarios.com

T H A N K YOU

Spoonflower C R E D I T S + C O N S U LT A T I O N

Spoonflower selected Jenna Freimuth as their recipient of $250 Spoondollars credit plus a 30-minute consultation with Spoonflower’s artist community manager, Tara Reed. spoonflower.com

Nina Cvijović

troylitten.com

diujdi.com @diujdi

T H A N K YO U TO T H E S E E X C E L L E N T O P P O R T U N I T Y PA R T N E R S FOR THEIR TIME, EXPERTISE AND G ENEROSITY

Make Art That Sells TUITION

Troy Litten will receive free tuition to Lilla Rogers’ My Toy Pitch: illustrating for the toys and games markets, co-taught with inventor Riley Wilkinson. makeartthatsells.com

S H A RON V I RT U E S el ected b y

WINDHAM FABRICS fo r a Fa b r i c C ol l ect io n

S

haron Virtue is an artist in Oakland, California. Upon hearing the news of being selected for collaboration with Windham Fabric, Sharon jumped up and down, and did some fist bumping with her husband. “My magic spell worked and then some,” she wrote back happily. “I have been working toward this industry for several years and understand that this is a fantastic opportunity. This is so exciting and unexpected. I knew lots of talented folks out there would be entering.

I would have been happy to just make it into the guide, which is such an important resource—I love seeing the work of other artists.”

“Selecting designers to work with can be a daunting task,” says Mickey Krueger, president of Windham Fabrics. “There is so much amazing surface design talent in the world—how can we ever decide?” Sharon’s work did catch Windham’s attention. “As we dug deeper into her body of work we were struck by her brave use of colour.

We know that this is not always such an easy thing to pull off, and still have it be attractive to our clients. We think that Sharon hit the mark here as well. Finally, we could not look past Sharon’s inspiring subject matter. We try to inspire creativity in our clients, and in these times Sharon instantly serves up that inspiration.” windhamfabrics.com

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Can you tell us more about your interest in surface pattern design and what you’ve been doing to pursue this dream?

I had a wonderful art education in the UK and we were encouraged to try everything. I screen printed my own fabric (Matisse was my ultimate inspiration in art school) and then I would make clothes from the printed fabrics. I wanted to wear my art.

I’ve worked with community art projects in many countries in Africa and have always loved fabrics that are being sold there—graphic and colourful with a sense of humour, and always reflecting something of the culture. Also, for many years in the USA, I have been involved with ceramic arts, but still with a focus on pattern and colour. I created a collection of ceramics called FunkShon, which was a marriage of African fabrics and Rococo ceramics. One of my most recent murals in downtown Oakland, “Resist,” has a fantastic patterned background inspired by fabric sold in Africa. I started working digitally after taking a beginner Skillshare course years ago with Bonnie Christine (I highly recommend her!). Now I know how to create repeat patterns digitally, so I’m working toward combining the digital with the handpainted and drawn feel of my work.

I love that you had a “magic spell”! Can you tell my readers and me a bit more about it?

My ancestors are very alive in me and I have a deep connection and respect for nature.

There are secrets to being in harmony with our amazing world. My ancestors practiced rites and rituals of animism, in what we now call “magic.” For me, magic is about focused intentions and aligning with natural forces to create balance, beauty and harmony in the world. It’s about allowing your true creative potential to come to fruition: to align with the divine.

How do you envision your art being used with fabrics?

I’m signed up to take a quilt-making course with Sujata Shah. I’ll be learning how to make a Kawandi quilt, similar to those made by the African diaspora/Siddi community of India.

I will definitely be making more arty clothes for myself, and I can think of so many homeware applications—curtains, bedding, cushions, pillows, lampshades, tablecloths and napkins, as well as quilted computer/iPad cases, tote bags and yoga bags. My work is for creative souls who love colour and want to make a bold statement. virtuevision.org

leilasimonhayes.com

shelleyismay.com

crissierodda.co.nz

leilasimonhayes.com

Chronicle Books PORTFOLIO REVIEW + G IFT

Chronicle Books selected Shelley Ismay and Leila Simon Hayes for a one-on-one portfolio review and conversation with a designer from Chronicle’s Art Publishing Group.

The two winning artists also received a $50 Chronicle Books gift card.

phoebesclosetltd.com

alyspaterson.com

chroniclebooks.com

Halfpenny Postage G REETING CARD LICENSING

Bonnie Christine FREE TUITION + ACCESS

Halfpenny Postage selected Leila Simon Hayes, Crissie Rodda and Alys Paterson as artists with whom they would like to publish greeting cards. halfpennypostage.com

Bonnie Christine selected Deirdre Coughlin as her recipient for free tuition to the Bonnie Christine Immersion Course plus one free year of Flourish. bonniechristine.com

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A Tale of Art Cinthia James

Agata Krzyszkowska

Álex Roda

BASEL, SWITZERLAND

WA R S AW, M A Z O W I E C K I E , P O L A N D

M A D R I D, S PA I N

Cinthia James is a passionate creative who illustrates her work under the name A Tale of Art. Cinthia has skills in illustration, pattern and graphic design. She earned her bachelor’s of fine art from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. Cinthia’s graphical patterns are bold and vibrant. Her colourful designs have an imaginative charm, placing colour in unique combinations. As a fashion fan, Cinthia loves to add her bold, graphical patterns to portraits and figures.

Based in a green, magical part of Warsaw, Poland, Agata Krzyszkowska draws inspiration from everywhere around her. With a strong emphasis on colour and shape, Agata’s works have a whimsical, folksy vibe. Her deep passion for her work as well as her constant pursuit of new ideas make Agata’s work pleasantly surprising.

From stationery and home décor to textiles, her patterns and illustrations add a spark of joy to any given project.

Álex Roda is a surface pattern designer from Madrid, Spain, where she lives with her boyfriend and their three cats. Her designs are quite simple and geometric, although she also introduces nature in a minimalistic and subtle way. She likes the flat look of vectors but with an organic, hand-drawn twist. More than anything, she loves printing her patterns on fabric with blocks and sewing beautiful things.

Her work aims to inspire and bring simplicity to the table.

ataleofart.net @ataleof_art

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blissfulflamingo.com @blissful_flamingo

alexroda.es @alexrodadesign

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ancestral inspiration RE F L ECTI O N S F RO M I N D I G E N OUS PAT TE RN D ES I G N E RS

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ready-to-wear artwork

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PHOTO BY HEMLOCK GOODS

O R I G I N

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I Wonder if You Know (detail)

The recent months of contemplative time on the couch has allowed Pooja space to further investigate her perspectives on disability, gender roles, femininity, societal expectations and the concept of “bodymind.” “I’m questioning the expectation to put mind over matter, finding value in their interconnectedness instead,” writes Pooja in her artist statement.

Bodymind, a concept that counters ideas of mind-body dualism, is commonly encountered in the works of disability studies scholars such as Margaret Price. “Mental and physical processes not only affect each other but also give rise to each other—that is, … they tend to act as one, even though they are conventionally understood as two,” wrote Price in her 2014 paper titled “The Bodymind Problem and the Possibilities of Pain.”

Arcadian (detail)

Pooja’s Artist Statement

I use painting to express my unique experience within a bodymind— a space where femininity and creativity bring together my disparate experiences of growing up as a woman in India, moving to the US, motherhood, leaving behind a career in finance to build an art practice, and disability.

Building layers of colour with thin washes of drippy paint, and a deliberate application of dots, I seek connections between body and mind, movement and stillness. The free-flowing forms that emerge through this process often fill and gather in parts of my canvases while loosely falling out of “frame” in others. Having to constantly adapt to shifting cultures and gender norms, as well as the progressive weakness caused by an incurable muscular condition, I am questioning the expectation to put mind over matter, finding value in their interconnectedness instead.

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As Pooja dives deeper into small works on paper, she is able to consider a more holistic approach to her own mind and body. Where she once focused on the strength and agility of her mind, she is coming to see the integrity of the whole, regardless of how her condition progresses.

Though the couch has become a productive space for Pooja, she is not giving up painting anytime soon.

Each morning that she wakes with energy to paint, she paints. “I love painting,” she says. “It’s a way for me to show movement and energy, things that I am losing, that my body is losing. But my mind is still very active.

Painting is a way to bring those things together with balance and harmony.” poojapittie.com @poojapittie

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Craft

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S T I T C H

beadwork Elias Not Afraid L O D G E G R A S S , M O N TA N A , U S A

What is your story, in a paragraph or two?

I was born and raised on the Apsáalooke (Crow) Indian reservation here in Montana. My family and I lived in my great grandmother Joy Yellowtail’s house in the country, and when my brothers and I were younger, we were always bored and would play outside, but during the winter, we were always indoors. When I was around 12 years old, I started to go through my great-grandma’s research materials, some of her beadwork, her patterns, her supplies and some beads. One day I took a pair of leggings and removed a small section, put it back together and kept practising and practising, and eventually taught myself the two-needle appliqué beading technique. Over the years I learned various beading techniques and revived three dead beading techniques by examining our ancestors’ beadwork left behind.

What is your personal connection, heritage and history to beadwork?

My great grandmother Joy Yellowtail was an exquisite beadwork artist, and from looking at all her patterns and unfinished beadwork, she was a perfectionist and wouldn’t colour in her patterns before beading them—she would freehand the colours, or she made them up as she went.

I learned so much from her without even meeting her, because she passed before I was born.

What motifs, symbols and colours are themes in your pieces? What do they signify to you?

Apsáalooke are known for both geometric and floral beadwork, as well as the bright and vibrant pastel-coloured beads we use.

I look at old Apsáalooke beadwork closely and study the colours, beads, materials and design, and shuffle them around in my head and use them as the foundation for of all my beadwork.

Please describe your design process.

When starting a project or a commission, I will go for a drive alone and will blast my music and think. I’ll first think of what I want to make (bag, belt, cradle board, etc.), then will just look at my surroundings or at photos that I took, that have a certain aesthetic that I draw inspiration from, and will merge the two. I’ll see the finished item in my head and will deconstruct it in my head and write out the instructions. I don’t plan the colours out, either; I just freehand them as I go.

How do you use beadwork in communication, expression and/or style?

Beadwork is a personalized piece of iconography that can identify someone or one’s tribe, clan or society, by just looking at the design and colours. Apsáalooke people have always adorned themselves and their everyday items with beadwork since the day they introduced glass seed beads to our tribe. Not only was beading a way of expressing ourselves and our identity, but it was also a form of therapy for some with mental health issues.

How do you want non-Indigenous people to support your work?

I always hear some artists say, start by buying and collecting their work, and yes this does help out a lot but it’s not the only way someone can support an Indigenous artist. Posting their work and tagging them on your timeline or story on social media is another way to show support. ejnotafraid.com @eliasnotafraid

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Jaymie Campbell White Otter Design Co.

In 2015, White Otter Design Co. was born as a way to honour my ancestry, carry on traditional art practices and use my creativity as an outlet to rest and heal.

It allowed me to embark on projects with my family and community. I have had the great fortune of being mentored in the old ways and being able to marry that with contemporary design and fashion.

Beadwork became medicine and allowed me expression.

I strive to use authentic materials in my work and learn the traditional techniques in order to pass them down to future generations. First and foremost, I am a student. I hope to inspire young people to know that you can be athletic and artsy, scientific and spiritual, and a warrior and an artist.

What is your personal connection, heritage and history to beadwork?

I am an Anishnaabe woman who comes from a long line of strong women.

My grandmothers were quillwork and beadwork artists, and I feel a deep connection and calling to the work.

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What motifs, symbols and colours are themes in your pieces? What do they signify to you?

How do you use beadwork in communication, expression and/or style?

I do a lot of floral beadwork, and it is the work that resonates with me most. I like to storytell with whimsical beadwork pieces that are detailed and use a variety textures, sizes and materials in the beads.

I prefer to use vintage beads because I like the character in them and the story the beads themselves carry. My pieces are meant to capture a part of me, and a part of my family’s story.

Beadwork captures stories. It also captures individual style and is a reflection of who we are. I have set out to create pieces that were really reflective of my personal sense of style and something that I would want to wear into events boardrooms or gatherings, and would make me feel a connection to my roots.

Beadwork for me can express my mood, reflect the seasons both in nature and in life, and can capture a person’s essence.

Please describe your design process.

Some of my patterns come from Anishnaabe history, or are passed down through my family, and my dad has passed them to me. Other times, patterns, designs and colours come to me in dreams or from being out on the land. I will often sketch down new patterns and ideas, and then wait to see how my mind will put the colours together. You can get a lot of really amazing colour inspirations from simply just paying attention to your surroundings.

How do you want non-Indigenous people to support your work?

I make beadwork for all people, but it is important to support Indigenous-made, not Indigenous-inspired. I am hopeful that it will be a catalyst to promoting visibility, building relationships and learning.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Chi Miigwech/Thank you! whiteotterdesignco.com @whiteotterdesignco

P O R T R A I T B Y S W E E T M O O N P H OTO G R A P H Y/ T E N I L L E CA M P B E L L

N E W D E N VE R , BC, CA N A DA

What is your story, in a paragraph or two?

C O V E R

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A R T I S T

S U B S C R I B E R

H A P PY P L AC E

Carole Fenwick L E E DS , W E ST YO R KS H I R E , U K

I’m Carole, a designer based in Leeds in the UK. Under the name Maggie Magoo Designs, I work from my home studio, creating surface pattern designs, contemporary prints, textiles and embroideries. I also have a product-based business. I sell online through my Etsy shop and at fairs and markets, and I’m stocked in independent retailers around the world.

My workspace is very important to me and I feel so lucky that I have a room in my home dedicated to my creative business.

I mainly work digitally, though most of my work starts as drawings, which are then transferred to my Mac and reworked and recoloured. My designs are inspired by the natural world, folk art and tattoo design, with plants, flowers and insects featuring throughout my work.

All the drawing, painting, digital work, answering emails, signing prints, packing orders, sewing purses and pouches, and much more happens in this tiny room.

As it’s a small space, it can sometimes get a bit chaotic (I have a lot of stuff!), but more than anything, it’s my happy place.

I also do a lot of embroidery art.

I tend to do this in the evening, so I get to work in the living room, with Netflix and sometimes a glass of wine. maggiemagoodesigns.etsy.com @maggiemagoodesigns

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S H A R E S

Please share your pictures and stories of my books, magazines and fabric on Instagram @uppercasemag with your friends, family and colleagues. It means a lot to me! #uppercaselove for all things UPPERCASE #uppercasemag for the magazine #uppercasekraft for art made with the kraft envelope sent to subscribers #uppercasereader to share what you make #encyclopediaofinspiration for the books #uppercasefabric for my fabric collections with @windhamfabrics #littleumag for my little magazine for the young at heart

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@a l exa n d ra sn owd on

@ta m b o l b e e d ra ws

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B O O K S

A multi-volume book series released in whimsical (non-alphabetical) order on all manner of intriguing and creative topics.

Y

YARN • THREAD • STRING LOOK INSIDE THE LATEST VOLUME

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C I R C L E

Cover artist to be announced!

Circle

looking forward There’s a lot to look forward to at UPPERCASE—and many ways in which you can be involved or even get published!

Look for all the details and deadlines for the open calls on our website and be sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter for behind-the-scenes updates.

Make connections, nurture your creative spirit and grow your business!

Yarn-Thread-String By the time you’re holding this issue, Volume Y in the Encyclopedia of Inspiration will be freshly printed and out in the world!

Future Encyclopedia Volumes Get on my newsletter list for the latest announcements about forthcoming volumes.

UPPERCASE Creative Supplies I’m creating a notebook series of tear-off patterns curated from the designers featured in the Surface Pattern Design Guide, plus UPPERCASE spine patterns and some vintage-inspired ones, too.

The UPPERCASE Circle is a vibrant community hub, one that is a valuable source of motivation, inspiration and encouragement for like-minded and kind-hearted creative people from around the world. Although the community is initially brought together by its support for and appreciation of UPPERCASE magazine, the Circle will enhance your experience of all things UPPERCASE while providing additional value to your creative life through conversation and the sharing of knowledge.

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Connect with members of the UPPERCASE community— both near and far—who share your interests.

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Share your work with your peers, mentors and potential customers.

Little U: Volume 3 Little U is the offspring of UPPERCASE magazine—creativity for the young at heart! Volume 3 will be released in May.

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Find inspiration, motivation and new perspectives.

UPPERCASE magazine

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#50 July-August-September 2021 Help us celebrate this amazing milestone of independent publishing! Themes include art + science, stamping and more.

Move your creative business forward with tips, tools and support from peers and guest experts.

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Live video conferences and video chats.

#51 October-November-December 2021 Pitch your article ideas and theme suggestions anytime by emailing submissions@uppercasemagazine.com.

Access to this community is FREE when you subscribe to UPPERCASE magazine! uppercasecircle.com

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C O V E T

what washes up

STO RY A N D P H OTO BY

andre a jenkin s

L

ook, examine, collect, repeat. If I am fortunate enough to find myself at the ocean, this is the pattern I most swiftly fall into. As I walk, I scan the shoreline, examine the shells I find and either toss them back or pocket my delight. I could wander like this for hours. If only I lived closer to the ocean, I think. I could (and would) melt through large chunks of time this way—looking, examining, collecting. Cleaning and polishing my finds at the end of the day, carefully arranging them on bleached wooden trays, noting distinct colours and patterns, researching scientific names. I am in love with the process—enamoured with whatever the ocean wants to give me, thoroughly enchanted with the things that wash up.

At some point, it hit me. The pattern I follow when combing for shells is essentially the same one I practice daily. Look, examine, collect, repeat: treasures found while thrifting, particular words gleaned while reading, lists of notable things seen while on the road, photographs taken, everyday moments for remembering. As I move through the world, I collect as I go. That moment I find some small lovely thing hidden amidst the flotsam and jetsam of the neighbourhood thrift shop holds the exact same magic as the moment I spot a potentially rare shell in shallow waters. Whether I’m standing beneath the pallid glow of fluorescent lights or an early morning sun, the action is the same—I lift the item up to the light to examine what I’ve found, decide whether or not to keep it and then move on.

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This same pattern also applies when collecting the intangible. Unusual sights seen while out walking, funny things my kids say, bits of conversations overheard—I may not be able to hold these things in my hands, but I examine them all the same, hold them up to the proverbial light, decide which ones to keep. I scribble my finds on the pages of notebooks and they feel as permanent and prized as the collected seashells that line my window sills. Once, on New Year’s Eve, I sat down to look back at the year and could only seem to remember the big things, the tent pole events. Surely a hundred small magic moments had passed (probably more), but I couldn’t remember a single one. From that point on, I resolved to collect as many as I could, to write them down as they happened and keep them someplace safe so I could read them all at the end of the year, or whenever I feel the pull.

As a photographer, I am devoted to the pattern. I look through a lens, examine what I see, press the shutter to collect the image, repeat. The photos I print live on the pages of books and albums and in stacks that sit around the house—collected light, select moments, distilled.

On my phone, you’ll find exactly 277 folders, each an individual collection of photographs: clouds, colours, road signs, street scenes, foods eaten. Doors, libraries, trees, portraits, places stood—and the list goes on and on. Treasures, gleaned. Indeed, I am in love with the process. Enamoured with whatever the world wants to give me, enchanted with the things that wash up.

F RO NT C OVE R

madison rae h oller BAC K C OVE R

h emlock goods $ 1 8 CA D/ U S D P R I N T E D I N CA N A DA

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