The sixth edition of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Design Guide will be published in issue #65 (April-May-June 2025). The guide will feature 100 portfolios, and entrants will also be considered for many professional licensing and learning opportunities—including a Fabric Collection with Windham Fabrics. The deadline is January 20, 2025.
As a reader of The Pattern Journal newsletter, you can use the code "save10" for $10 off the entry fee. In thanks, upon your entry, you will receive another coupon for my shop—save 20% off subscriptions, renewals, books and back issues (the offer expires March 1, 2025).
→ The entry fee is USD $40* and will be used to cover the hosting and administration costs of this submission system. It will also be pooled as payments to artists selected for UPPERCASE projects such as the SPDG cover and patterned paper bonus for subscribers. *If the $30 entry fee ($40 less the save10 discount) is a barrier to entering the guide, email me for a free pass.
I am fascinated with patterns in sacred geometry and nature, especially circles and flowers. A torus mandala is a geometric form that consists of twelve circles overlaid on a central circle to create a mandala with 72 pieces in 6 distinct shapes. I create sets of 5-6 stamps to fill in those spaces with a variety of abstract and botanical patterns. Some are large and make a mandala with a diameter of 18 inches. I make a variety of smaller ones as well. I incorporate them into my art in a variety of ways, in the background of collages, printed on tissue paper and collaged onto a background, or printed over collaged materials. I also have seed of life mandala sets that I can mix and match with the torus mandala sets. The seed of life is the beginning seven circles for a torus mandala. Instagram / Website
Huanxi Jiang Animals
I'm Huanxi Jiang, an freelancer illustrator and surface designer who finds inspiration in the beauty of everyday life and nature's wonders. My art often features animals, children, and the stunning landscapes that surround us. My goal is simple: to spread joy and peace through my patterns! Instagram / Website
Kerry Boan Jungle Toile Collection
The Jungle Toile collection is inspired by the rich wildlife of the Indian jungle, combining exotic animals and fauna in a modern take on Toile de Jouy. The hero pattern, with its limited color palette, features intricately drawn elephants, tigers, jaguars, peacocks, and more. Secondary prints include a vining floral of tropical flowers and birds, and a scallop design highlighting a detailed peacock illustration. Complementary blenders feature a tropical floral paisley and a jaguar fur pattern. Perfect for bolt fabric, home decor, wallpaper, and apparel, this collection brings the jungle to life with elegance. Instagram / Website
Bonnie Kozak Nouveau Pineapple
My original gouache painting of a pineapple inspired this pattern. I had purchased the pineapple at a local market in Mexico. The morning light on the pineapple created a softness that was almost blue. I painted an abstract interpretation in gouache on black watercolour paper, which inspired the pattern I created in Adobe Illustrator. Instagram / Website
Madonna Yoder Origami Tessellations, Folded by Hand
The patterns in my art are created entirely by folding a single sheet of paper - no cuts, no separate parts. Each pattern can repeat infinitely since it's built on the mathematical properties of the symmetry groups that produce tessellations, and most of my pieces are built around a central position of 6-fold rotational symmetry. Since I started teaching how to fold these origami tessellations online in 2021, my design style has evolved to become both more easily foldable and more expressive, with a tendency towards organic forms made from geometric components. I've also unlocked several methods for generating infinitely many of these infinite patterns, which I gladly share with anyone who asks. Instagram / Website
New at UPPERCASE
The Jan-Feb-March 2025 issue is on its way to subscribers and is available in my shop. Use the code butterfly for CAD$15 off subscriptions and renewals.
Looking forward to some books in 2025: Feed Sacks (originally released in 2016) is undergoing a crowdfunding campaign for a reprint. This epic book has 850 vintage fabric swatches and 544 pages. A must-have for any design library! And Glue is Volume G in the UPPERCASE Encyclopedia of Inspiration. Auditions are open to collage and assemblage artists. Preorders support the production of the book. thank you!
Last chance! This option will be gone soon because the inventory on some of the older issues is low.
Comments & replies to Janine
I am happy to hear from you and welcome your comments!
