Graphic Patterns

I love working with graphic patterns. I started experimenting with painting this past year and a half, before that, the majority of my work was graphic. I loved working that way but, I always felt like it wasn't right, it needed more. It was too stiff so, I started seeking an alternative and found watercolors. When I was at Surtex in May, I was so inspired by the work of these talented ladies that I started to have the urge to play with graphic patterns again. There was a difference between there work and mine, theirs had more life to them and felt so alive. I think the problem was that I worked in Illustrator and was being too much of a perfectionist, my lines all had to be perfect. I liked having control over my perfect circles. So, after talking to Jessica Swift, I started to re-examine my graphic work and saw that beauty wasn't in the perfect lines it was in the unexpected marks. This is a lesson that I keep reminding myself of when working with the watercolors too. The tighter my work gets the less beauty you find. It's funny, releasing and surrender seem to be big lessons for me these days. Thanks, Jessica for helping me to find beauty in the unexpected marks.

I seem to be loving this color palette. I posted another graphic pattern two weeks ago and it was the same colors. I just realized it. I am channeling aqua, gray and yellow.

 

 

Comments

[Lisa]

So true...having an unexpected or free-form quality in art is very important. Here it comes through in the texture and offset quality of the patterns. I like these, especially the olive, aqua and grey. They are very stylish!

[Stephanie Ryan]

Thanks Lisa, they were fun to create.

[tanya good]

You nailed it on these Steph, I love them, and love love love the colors!
I want a shirt or wall paper or something in this pattern.!!!!!