“I began drawing when I was very young,” she shared with Lake. “During my childhood, I was surrounded by Chinese and Thai decorations. My grandpa used a Chinese ceramic bowl and teapot, and my grandma wore a Thai motif textile cloth. I thought I absorbed a lot from my childhood environment. My parents always encouraged me to continue my creative path.”

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“I am into traditional Chinese painting,” she adds. Inspired by wall paintings in Chinese temples, as well as Thai textiles, Ploy says she enjoys the complexity of natural shapes and animals in folk tales. “I am so thrilled to see illustrations and patterns come to life,” she says.

Using mainly watercolor, but also gouache and ink, Ploy’s selected clients include Samsung, Design House Greetings x Trader Joe’s, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. “Social media is a huge part of my career as a freelance illustrator and designer,” she says. “Clients have found me through social media, especially Instagram. I use them to share my work and connect with other people. I can’t imagine living without it.”

Enjoy some of her work in the gallery below:

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The post This Illustrator is Inspired By Thai and Chinese Cultures appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I’ve always loved animals and have always either had dogs or cats or horses or chickens in my life,” relayed Wilson in an interview with AWW Magazine, explaining that after spending time with animals she finds she can imagine their personalities easier. “I try to simplify the shapes and textures of the animal whilst still keeping it recognizable,” she explains. “I also try to show its personality through facial features and gestures.”

Working from an old railway house in a small town in Coastal Otago, New Zealand, she finds inspiration in her garden, the landscape around her and her long nature rambles in the surrounding countryside. Informed by her careful observations, Wilson’s illustrations focus on the simple, sweet and cozy things in life, featuring themes like flowers, pets, and home.

“There is an underlying environmental message to my work,” she says, “I want people to see the beauty of the things we share this planet with – the animals, the plants and insects and through this hopefully care for them more.”

“I think I’ve always drawn and painted,” she adds. “My mum was always making things so I’m sure it was her influence that made me start drawing.” Wilson’s illustrations can be found printed on stationery and accessories, as well as children’s books, greeting cards, toys, and clothing. But you can also follow her work via Instagram.

The post This Illustrator Finds Patterns In Nature appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Only after I grew up and graduated from the field of computer science, I realized I couldn’t stop painting,” she explained in an interview with the Sak. “To my surprise, I began receiving commissions to draw and design for people and companies. And after my client list grew I decided it was time to concentrate on art professionally. “

Born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, she eventually landed in snowy Ohio, where she currently works as an illustrator from her home studio in Sagamore Hills. Her toolbox includes carving lino blocks, gouache, acrylics, and more, with Uzbek/Russian folklore clear inspirations for her work. Now, with almost 300k followers on Instagram, her choice to follow through with her creative passion seems to have been right.

“Art communicates emotions,” says Mirtalipova, “it can tell stories and paint a mood. I feel my art has a sense of nostalgia, it’s folkloric and musical. When I paint my stories, I like them to communicate positive energy, to be bright and colorful, to bring joy and to spread joy.”

Her cheerful patterns and decorative letterforms will bring you joy, if nothing else.

The post Dinara Mirtalipova’s Folky Patterns Will Bring You Joy appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“It took me a good 7 years to find my voice in the work I create,” admitted the self-taught artist in an interview with Four Magazine. “I slowly worked my way through different subject matter and mediums. I went from drawing figures in charcoal to working with floral design in india ink. Flowers have been very present in most of my work through the years so it feels natural that it’s the backbone of my work.”

Robinson’s compositions combine both organic and disciplined properties allowing her work to possess a certain fluidity while still maintaining order and structure. Her hand-drawn ink and pen illustrations extend beyond the paper and find their way on various mediums, as she constantly evolves as an artist.

“My brain is constantly lighting up with images and ideas that need to be manifested and given life,” she explains. “If I were to stop that from happening to focus on other things like sitting in front of a computer or waiting tables, I’d shut down emotionally, mentally and spiritually.”

But discipline is also important when it comes to her creative practice. “If we as artists want to progress and make magic happen we can’t wait to have a whim of inspiration come our way to get those wheels turning,” she notes. “We need to find the strength and spark within ourselves at any given moment to get right down to it and produce. It takes discipline, determination and most importantly, confidence.”

According to Robinson’s website, her art is meant to provide a sort of healing, and scrolling through her Instagram page, we can’t but feel a sense of peacefulness take over.

The post Marsha Robinson Finds Healing In Symmetry appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A Minnesota-based designer, Wodarz began her career as a studio artist, merchandiser, and home decor gift-ware product designer working for companies such as Anthropologie, Midwest CBK and Target. Over the last five years, she has combined her digital skills and fine arts background into a thriving design career working as a surface designer for consumer products and licensing her work to manufacturers for online shops and major retail companies worldwide.

“I did go to school for Studio Art / Environmental Studies, I also took a Contemporary Art focused semester in NYC and numerous studio classes which shaped my education,” she relayed in an interview with The BoomBoom Prints blog. “I am self-taught in graphic design and computer-related illustration. I love to combine different media to create new techniques and stretch my skills!”

Her illustrative designs have been featured in advertising and marketing campaigns for brand social media, editorial, and store merchandising. “What I love about art is that it is never standing still,” says Wodarz, “my peers tell me I now have a slight signature style to my work but really I love to produce art and product design on demand. It is a special challenge to not rely on a medium or style for your inspiration but to let the world around you dictate the trends!”

Take a look at some of her eye-popping patterns in the gallery below and follow her Instagram page for more:

The post Zoe Wodarz’s Illustrations Are a Clever Mix of Colors and Patterns appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Founded in 2015, Jade offers an eye-catching range of hand-drawn designs that celebrate the fascinating plants and animals living on our planet. By celebrating the shapes, forms, patterns, textures, and colors prevalent in our natural environment, she hopes to restore our affinity with nature.

“I hand draw all my designs, which creates quite a personal feel to my designs,” she relays the creative process in an interview with Jung Katz. “I then apply color (which is generally quite bold) and edit these hand-drawn images digitally using photoshop.” According to Jade, she enjoys combining hand drawings with digital design, to create her eye-popping repeated patterns. “My work is quite detailed and I generally use a pencil to create my patterns, however, I do enjoy combining pencil and paint, as I feel these two mediums create quite unique pattern designs,” she explains.

Inspired by plants, foliage, flowers, animals, she’s also fond of geometric prints and also designs that are inspired by natural textures. Fashion is another huge inspiration for Jade, as she loves keeping up to date with styles from the runway and current fashion trends. 

Her luxury design collections are available on wallpaper, textiles, upholstery fabrics, furniture, cushions, ceramic tiles, and flooring, with all products printed and made in the UK. Here are some of our favorites:

The post We Sense a Pattern with Charlotte Jade’s Designs appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Colorful, textured, and comforting, Dean’s blankets are a giant piece of happy art that can be viewed at once across a bed or in little window panes of color, all folded up on a shelf. Or, picture this: a simple room, white walls, expected furniture. Now take a soft, cotton throw designed with eye-popping shapes and colors. Fling it on the bed. “That one thing just changed your habitat,” she writes on her website. “And that’s why I design these blankets. Simple, immediate happy.”

According to Dean, blankets provide the perfect canvas. “There’s nothing wrong with loving color,” she writes. “Loving cozy. I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling you hate boring and scratchy as much as I do.” Naturally, we also love all things cozy.

But ironically enough, Dean found a passion for textile only once she was pushed against the wall, after being laid off from what she calls “the wild world of advertising.” That was when she decided to put her art degree to good use. “So I started sketching, spent a ridiculous amount of time tracking down some awesome artisans who can do the softest, happiest things with beautiful fibers, and the rest is, well, it’s not history, because it’s still happening,” she jokes.

“Even though I didn’t have money, I was looking at throws,” she further explained in an interview with the Kansas City Star. “I thought of that as an accessory, but something that still, you open it up and it’s big and it’s pretty and you can put something on it, and it can be art kind of.” We’re glad she found her artistic, yet practical, calling.

The post Karrie Dean’s Blankets Really Tie the Room Together appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Elizabeth Olwen

Born in Canada and based in Portugal, print and pattern designer Elizabeth Olwen creates original illustrations driven by her desire to leave something beautiful behind. Taking note of the world around her, her illustrations are inspired by anything and everything – from the forests of Ontario and the tiles of Lisbon to her cherished and plentiful travels abroad. Her patterns adorn products like bedding, rugs, pillows, aprons, floor tiles, and stationery.

Kate Zaremba

Former child actor Kate Zaremba found her true passion in patterns. An artist and surface designer, she specializes in wallpapers, textiles, and ceramics. “I want my art to have an overall essence of joy, of whimsy, or even humor,” she relayed in an interview with The House That Lars Built. “I started making wallpaper because I loved the idea that my work could be a backdrop to someone’s life.” A thoughtful sentiment.

Emily Isabella

Emily Isabella’s patterns draw from her background as a textile designer. Based in the Hudson Valley, just north of NYC, her drawings and gouache paintings can be found printed on products like bedding, clothing, furniture, fabric, dishes, rugs, toys, and wallpaper.

The post We’re Sensing a Pattern With These Artists! appeared first on PlayJunkie.

What began as a hobby turned into a business called Skinny laMinx (a nickname for Moore’s skinny little Siamese cat, Monkey) which soldproducts to stores and homes around the globe. And five years ago, that business blossomed into a chic little store on Cape Town’s Bree Street.

“After 10 years of illustration, I needed a change, so in 2006 I took a half-day job as a comic’s scriptwriter, and spent the rest of my day messing around in my studio on Long Street,” recalled Moore in an interview with You Are Brave. “I started blogging about my work, and opened an online shop on Etsy. People around the world started reading my blog and buying my things, and I got some wholesale orders to the USA, and suddenly I found that I was a designer with a design business.”

“My inspiration comes from ordinary, everyday things like cactuses, teacups, staircases and vibracrete walls,” she added. “I usually have a notebook with me, where I make sketches, and I take a lot of photographs of textures, details, juxtapositions, and compositions that seem to give me ideas.”

“The Skinny laMinx recipe is simple,” reads her website, “Mix together a love of pattern, a cute shop, a top notch team, and top it all off with equal parts playful and chic.”

The post Heather Moore Will Make You Fall in Love With Patterns appeared first on PlayJunkie.

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.

The post Emily Isabella’s Patterns Are Pure Joy appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I began drawing when I was very young,” she shared with Lake. “During my childhood, I was surrounded by Chinese and Thai decorations. My grandpa used a Chinese ceramic bowl and teapot, and my grandma wore a Thai motif textile cloth. I thought I absorbed a lot from my childhood environment. My parents always encouraged me to continue my creative path.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ploypisut εїз (@ploypisut.c)

“I am into traditional Chinese painting,” she adds. Inspired by wall paintings in Chinese temples, as well as Thai textiles, Ploy says she enjoys the complexity of natural shapes and animals in folk tales. “I am so thrilled to see illustrations and patterns come to life,” she says.

Using mainly watercolor, but also gouache and ink, Ploy’s selected clients include Samsung, Design House Greetings x Trader Joe’s, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. “Social media is a huge part of my career as a freelance illustrator and designer,” she says. “Clients have found me through social media, especially Instagram. I use them to share my work and connect with other people. I can’t imagine living without it.”

Enjoy some of her work in the gallery below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ploypisut εїз (@ploypisut.c)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ploypisut εїз (@ploypisut.c)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ploypisut εїз (@ploypisut.c)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ploypisut εїз (@ploypisut.c)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ploypisut εїз (@ploypisut.c)

The post This Illustrator is Inspired By Thai and Chinese Cultures appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I’ve always loved animals and have always either had dogs or cats or horses or chickens in my life,” relayed Wilson in an interview with AWW Magazine, explaining that after spending time with animals she finds she can imagine their personalities easier. “I try to simplify the shapes and textures of the animal whilst still keeping it recognizable,” she explains. “I also try to show its personality through facial features and gestures.”

Working from an old railway house in a small town in Coastal Otago, New Zealand, she finds inspiration in her garden, the landscape around her and her long nature rambles in the surrounding countryside. Informed by her careful observations, Wilson’s illustrations focus on the simple, sweet and cozy things in life, featuring themes like flowers, pets, and home.

“There is an underlying environmental message to my work,” she says, “I want people to see the beauty of the things we share this planet with – the animals, the plants and insects and through this hopefully care for them more.”

“I think I’ve always drawn and painted,” she adds. “My mum was always making things so I’m sure it was her influence that made me start drawing.” Wilson’s illustrations can be found printed on stationery and accessories, as well as children’s books, greeting cards, toys, and clothing. But you can also follow her work via Instagram.

The post This Illustrator Finds Patterns In Nature appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Only after I grew up and graduated from the field of computer science, I realized I couldn’t stop painting,” she explained in an interview with the Sak. “To my surprise, I began receiving commissions to draw and design for people and companies. And after my client list grew I decided it was time to concentrate on art professionally. “

Born and raised in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, she eventually landed in snowy Ohio, where she currently works as an illustrator from her home studio in Sagamore Hills. Her toolbox includes carving lino blocks, gouache, acrylics, and more, with Uzbek/Russian folklore clear inspirations for her work. Now, with almost 300k followers on Instagram, her choice to follow through with her creative passion seems to have been right.

“Art communicates emotions,” says Mirtalipova, “it can tell stories and paint a mood. I feel my art has a sense of nostalgia, it’s folkloric and musical. When I paint my stories, I like them to communicate positive energy, to be bright and colorful, to bring joy and to spread joy.”

Her cheerful patterns and decorative letterforms will bring you joy, if nothing else.

The post Dinara Mirtalipova’s Folky Patterns Will Bring You Joy appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“It took me a good 7 years to find my voice in the work I create,” admitted the self-taught artist in an interview with Four Magazine. “I slowly worked my way through different subject matter and mediums. I went from drawing figures in charcoal to working with floral design in india ink. Flowers have been very present in most of my work through the years so it feels natural that it’s the backbone of my work.”

Robinson’s compositions combine both organic and disciplined properties allowing her work to possess a certain fluidity while still maintaining order and structure. Her hand-drawn ink and pen illustrations extend beyond the paper and find their way on various mediums, as she constantly evolves as an artist.

“My brain is constantly lighting up with images and ideas that need to be manifested and given life,” she explains. “If I were to stop that from happening to focus on other things like sitting in front of a computer or waiting tables, I’d shut down emotionally, mentally and spiritually.”

But discipline is also important when it comes to her creative practice. “If we as artists want to progress and make magic happen we can’t wait to have a whim of inspiration come our way to get those wheels turning,” she notes. “We need to find the strength and spark within ourselves at any given moment to get right down to it and produce. It takes discipline, determination and most importantly, confidence.”

According to Robinson’s website, her art is meant to provide a sort of healing, and scrolling through her Instagram page, we can’t but feel a sense of peacefulness take over.

The post Marsha Robinson Finds Healing In Symmetry appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A Minnesota-based designer, Wodarz began her career as a studio artist, merchandiser, and home decor gift-ware product designer working for companies such as Anthropologie, Midwest CBK and Target. Over the last five years, she has combined her digital skills and fine arts background into a thriving design career working as a surface designer for consumer products and licensing her work to manufacturers for online shops and major retail companies worldwide.

“I did go to school for Studio Art / Environmental Studies, I also took a Contemporary Art focused semester in NYC and numerous studio classes which shaped my education,” she relayed in an interview with The BoomBoom Prints blog. “I am self-taught in graphic design and computer-related illustration. I love to combine different media to create new techniques and stretch my skills!”

Her illustrative designs have been featured in advertising and marketing campaigns for brand social media, editorial, and store merchandising. “What I love about art is that it is never standing still,” says Wodarz, “my peers tell me I now have a slight signature style to my work but really I love to produce art and product design on demand. It is a special challenge to not rely on a medium or style for your inspiration but to let the world around you dictate the trends!”

Take a look at some of her eye-popping patterns in the gallery below and follow her Instagram page for more:

The post Zoe Wodarz’s Illustrations Are a Clever Mix of Colors and Patterns appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Founded in 2015, Jade offers an eye-catching range of hand-drawn designs that celebrate the fascinating plants and animals living on our planet. By celebrating the shapes, forms, patterns, textures, and colors prevalent in our natural environment, she hopes to restore our affinity with nature.

“I hand draw all my designs, which creates quite a personal feel to my designs,” she relays the creative process in an interview with Jung Katz. “I then apply color (which is generally quite bold) and edit these hand-drawn images digitally using photoshop.” According to Jade, she enjoys combining hand drawings with digital design, to create her eye-popping repeated patterns. “My work is quite detailed and I generally use a pencil to create my patterns, however, I do enjoy combining pencil and paint, as I feel these two mediums create quite unique pattern designs,” she explains.

Inspired by plants, foliage, flowers, animals, she’s also fond of geometric prints and also designs that are inspired by natural textures. Fashion is another huge inspiration for Jade, as she loves keeping up to date with styles from the runway and current fashion trends. 

Her luxury design collections are available on wallpaper, textiles, upholstery fabrics, furniture, cushions, ceramic tiles, and flooring, with all products printed and made in the UK. Here are some of our favorites:

The post We Sense a Pattern with Charlotte Jade’s Designs appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Colorful, textured, and comforting, Dean’s blankets are a giant piece of happy art that can be viewed at once across a bed or in little window panes of color, all folded up on a shelf. Or, picture this: a simple room, white walls, expected furniture. Now take a soft, cotton throw designed with eye-popping shapes and colors. Fling it on the bed. “That one thing just changed your habitat,” she writes on her website. “And that’s why I design these blankets. Simple, immediate happy.”

According to Dean, blankets provide the perfect canvas. “There’s nothing wrong with loving color,” she writes. “Loving cozy. I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling you hate boring and scratchy as much as I do.” Naturally, we also love all things cozy.

But ironically enough, Dean found a passion for textile only once she was pushed against the wall, after being laid off from what she calls “the wild world of advertising.” That was when she decided to put her art degree to good use. “So I started sketching, spent a ridiculous amount of time tracking down some awesome artisans who can do the softest, happiest things with beautiful fibers, and the rest is, well, it’s not history, because it’s still happening,” she jokes.

“Even though I didn’t have money, I was looking at throws,” she further explained in an interview with the Kansas City Star. “I thought of that as an accessory, but something that still, you open it up and it’s big and it’s pretty and you can put something on it, and it can be art kind of.” We’re glad she found her artistic, yet practical, calling.

The post Karrie Dean’s Blankets Really Tie the Room Together appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Elizabeth Olwen

Born in Canada and based in Portugal, print and pattern designer Elizabeth Olwen creates original illustrations driven by her desire to leave something beautiful behind. Taking note of the world around her, her illustrations are inspired by anything and everything – from the forests of Ontario and the tiles of Lisbon to her cherished and plentiful travels abroad. Her patterns adorn products like bedding, rugs, pillows, aprons, floor tiles, and stationery.

Kate Zaremba

Former child actor Kate Zaremba found her true passion in patterns. An artist and surface designer, she specializes in wallpapers, textiles, and ceramics. “I want my art to have an overall essence of joy, of whimsy, or even humor,” she relayed in an interview with The House That Lars Built. “I started making wallpaper because I loved the idea that my work could be a backdrop to someone’s life.” A thoughtful sentiment.

Emily Isabella

Emily Isabella’s patterns draw from her background as a textile designer. Based in the Hudson Valley, just north of NYC, her drawings and gouache paintings can be found printed on products like bedding, clothing, furniture, fabric, dishes, rugs, toys, and wallpaper.

The post We’re Sensing a Pattern With These Artists! appeared first on PlayJunkie.

What began as a hobby turned into a business called Skinny laMinx (a nickname for Moore’s skinny little Siamese cat, Monkey) which soldproducts to stores and homes around the globe. And five years ago, that business blossomed into a chic little store on Cape Town’s Bree Street.

“After 10 years of illustration, I needed a change, so in 2006 I took a half-day job as a comic’s scriptwriter, and spent the rest of my day messing around in my studio on Long Street,” recalled Moore in an interview with You Are Brave. “I started blogging about my work, and opened an online shop on Etsy. People around the world started reading my blog and buying my things, and I got some wholesale orders to the USA, and suddenly I found that I was a designer with a design business.”

“My inspiration comes from ordinary, everyday things like cactuses, teacups, staircases and vibracrete walls,” she added. “I usually have a notebook with me, where I make sketches, and I take a lot of photographs of textures, details, juxtapositions, and compositions that seem to give me ideas.”

“The Skinny laMinx recipe is simple,” reads her website, “Mix together a love of pattern, a cute shop, a top notch team, and top it all off with equal parts playful and chic.”

The post Heather Moore Will Make You Fall in Love With Patterns appeared first on PlayJunkie.

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.

The post Emily Isabella’s Patterns Are Pure Joy appeared first on PlayJunkie.