You will should forgive our headline. Patricia Shea would not like being pigeonholed, however as a sample designer, her hand-painted creations inside that area are wealthy and assorted. There are mild and kooky Artwork Deco designs, conventional floral creations that hark to the Arts and Crafts, folksy artworks with an Jap flavour, and there is not any ignoring her candy, candy pink cupcakes.
These cute cupcake illustrations – as seen on all the things from wallpaper to smartphone circumstances – are one in all Patricia’s biggest-selling traces and even appeared within the background of the characteristic movie Psych 3. Additionally they encourage her on-line deal with, Design Confections.
“I’m a model,” says Patricia. “Design Confections took place as a result of Patrcia Shea was already taken on Instagram, and I like to think about my design work as scrumptious. It references my highly regarded cupcake and my ardour for patisserie.”
After dropping out of Manchester Polytechnic as a result of the textiles course she was on wasn’t specializing in textiles, she went to New York and landed a job in style. Then she went freelance for a few years, taking an entire vary of commissions – from ceramic tabletop designs to medical and golf illustration and on to paper product graphics. Now again in Manchester, Design Confections brings collectively Patricia’s creativity – she paints her motifs by hand – together with her experience in making use of patterns to totally different surfaces.
Her information and expertise are beneficial on the planet of print-on-demand, and Patricia has capitalised on them. However let’s not overlook her innate expertise. Whether or not it is blue denim paisley, a spinning mandala or folks artwork assembled from geometric shapes – she is aware of simply learn how to enthral the viewer. Little hints of shading, texture and artefacts of the handmade course of make the work all of the extra participating, going towards the grain of scientific computer-generated ornamentation.
Blue Denim Paisley.
Painted and digitally organized patterns grow to be merchandise in Patricia’s retailer.
“I adored paint by numbers, Spirograph and nice illustration like botanical illustration and paintings by the Pre-Raphaelites, whose work I visited recurrently at Manchester Metropolis Artwork Gallery. All of these items I feel now you can recognise in my work within the type of tight realism and geometric patterns and the mixture of each,” says Patricia.
Whereas we frequently deal with magnificence, color and the intelligent mixture of kinds in a sample – they excite us, maybe – the calming impact of repetition has at all times attracted Patricia. Early on, her tutors recognised this and inspired her in direction of floor design. Immediately, her creations are shipped to prospects worldwide, and new ventures are on the horizon.
Damask.
Millefiori bomber jacket.
“I simply adore repeating patterns and creating them,” she continues. “As soon as I begin in a groove, I can create so many coordinated designs from a number of base motifs, which I do by the superb auspices of Photoshop after scanning and cleansing the motifs and illustrations up.”
As in so many different areas of creativity, AI casts a darkish shadow, and Patricia has seen her designs scraped and homogenised, was lookalike merchandise for which she would not earn a penny. It’s totally disheartening. “However I do assume the final word end result, which I’m seeing a glimmer of proper now, is that hand-created, unique work by people might be elevated and extra appreciated than ever. How lengthy it will likely be earlier than that is the norm, who is aware of?” she ponders.
Handmade unique in progress.
Similar to she tailored to print-on-demand and capitalised on it, Patricia is now specializing in the concept of the handmade unique. She’s begun promoting her work, which is emotionally robust, having grow to be accustomed to protecting her ‘kids’ at dwelling. One other enterprise she’s exploring is educating sample design.
“Final yr, I taught a mandala workshop in Marrakech at an eco-hotel owned by a beautiful Mancunian, and I might be doing extra of those workshops as I transfer ahead. I’m persevering with with my PODs; I am simply additionally diversifying as you at all times appear to wish to as a artistic,” she says.
Wall coverings are massive sellers.
