Emily Isabella’s illustrations and patterns are very much charming. Trained as a textile designer, her pattern-driven work reflects her background in textile. Based in the Hudson Valley, just north of NYC, where she works from her studio, her drawings and gouache paintings have been applied to products like books, bedding, clothing, furniture, fabric, dishes, rugs, toys, and wallpaper. And with selected clients that include Kate Spade, Anthropologie, and Flow Magazine; as well as more than 37k followers on Instagram, it’s clear that there’s a lot going for her.
Talking about her artistic process with Ballpitmag, she said: “I was trained as a textile designer and traditionally textile designers used gouache as it dries flat and mimics screen printing. When I started working as an illustrator, gouache was what I had in my toolbox. It wasn’t a deliberate choice, however, I love exploring the relationship between line and flat color and gouache is the perfect medium for this. Also, it dries almost immediately so it’s great when you’re working on deadline!”
Endlessly inspired by her search for charm in the everyday, Isabella’s work is playful yet feminine and delicate. “I feel very connected to my memories of childhood and I’m always interested in bridging the gap between childhood and adulthood,” she says.
“My childhood was pretty idyllic, my parents are both artists and they encouraged me to be creative and taught me to love nature,” she recalled. “I met my husband in art school and from the beginning we’ve dreamed of building a place to house our creative endeavors. We now live in the Hudson Valley on 15 acres and are building that studio! I guess my adult life mimics my childhood.”
Here are some highlights from her Instagram page.
