It has been a snowy spring here in Calgary, but I'm looking forward to planting my garden in the weeks ahead.
Here are some vegetable dreams by Croatia-based artist Anna Bencic. She writes:
"I was inspired to create this collection by my mom, who absolutely loves her vegetable garden and growing her own produce. And I’ve always been drawn to the bright, juicy colours and organic shapes of ripe fruits and vegetables, which became the foundation for this collection. The patterns explore a playful and fresh visual language, combining hand-drawn elements with a warm, seasonal palette. The collection is well-suited for a variety of applications, including home textiles, wallpaper, stationery, accessories, and ceramic tableware."
May you have pleasant weather—and delicious vegetables—wherever you may be.
I love teaching simple watercolour classes to novice artists! It has become my favourite part of my creative side hustle! The Summer Tomatoes class was taught last summer at my local bookstore and as always, the students made beautiful paintings! (You can check out the video of that class on my instagram page) When I create these projects for classes, I also like to create a collection of patterns based on that illustration for licensing. Instagram / Website
Spring baby animal patterns by Ellie Stocks
My Spring patterns for this year, made by drawing in a biro pen to start with, then painting over the top with watercolour, edited over the top of an inky textured background. I like this combination for the soft, delicate colours, while still being able to add detail with the pen. I chose three different Spring baby animals—ducklings, fawns, and bunnies—and surrounded them with various Spring flowers. I've used similarly coloured flowers to create a more cohesive look across the patterns and added small blue forget-me-nots to each pattern to create a connecting motif. I've also decided to make these patterns into greeting cards for people who like sending Springtime wishes to loved ones, as they are colourful and joyful, and could brighten up someone's day. Instagram / Website
Colin Walton
Colin Walton remembers spotting pattern repeats on his parents' lurid 1960s wallpapers, which started his attraction to Mid-Century designs. Colin's patterns are often inspired by everyday items from deckchairs to raffia shopping bags. He uses photographic accuracy to achieve punchy, graphic patterns and colour combinations making them equally at home printed on furnishing fabrics or framed on a wall. Instagram / Website
cover by Sarah Matthews, SPDG6 cover by Lisa Deighan
Patterns are applied to the surfaces of our daily lives. From fabrics, clothing, papergoods, wallpaper and our furniture, there are many dimensions of surface pattern design. It’s a form of creative expression and personal style, and, as shown in this sixth edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide, it can become an encompassing career.
Only 41 copies remain of 2025's issue #65, containing the 6th edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide. Last chance to get this in print—back issues are not reprinted.
Making Zen is on now! This online event is always a favourite with UPPERCASE readers: Making Zen features 40 expert artists sharing their handmade craft techniques and mindful stitching ideas. It's free to sign up—you have access to each day's sessions of videos for 24 hours, or you can invest in a VIP ticket to retain access to the recordings to watch at your leisure (plus other bonuses).
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