Spring is just around the corner! 🌿🌸 Discover my new designs at https://www.alles-fuer-selbermacher.de/ – perfect for fresh home accents and DIY projects. From decorative cushions to sew-your-own pillows and jersey fabrics, there’s plenty of inspiration for spring! ✨🧵
Three diy pillows with spring inspired designs.Der Frühling steht vor der Tür! 🌿🌸 Entdecke meine neuen Designs bei https://www.alles-fuer-selbermacher.de/– perfekt für frische Wohnakzente und DIY-Projekte. Ob Dekokissen, Kissen zum Selbernähen oder Jersey-Stoffe – hier findest du Inspiration für den Frühling! ✨🧵
Heart leaves in spring pattern.
DIY-Kissenpaneel “Spring Is Here”.
It was April 2020. I was sitting on my sofa, feeling heartbroken. After 20 years of trying to become a children’s book illustrator, I finally called it quits. I had sent five illustrations from my latest children’s book – I had worked on it for two years, mind you – to Bologna to enroll in the competition for the illustrator’s exhibition of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (which is the largest children’s book fair worldwide – so taking part in the exhibition is very prestigious), and due to the upheaval caused by Covid, my originals got lost. This was the final straw. I couldn’t do it anymore.
One doodle a day. I started this practice before I discovered surface pattern design.
… another one opens.
This was the time of the first lockdown. The weather was glorious, warm, and sunny. There were no places to be. I had been following a spiritual teacher for some years now, and she offered additional content on Instagram. With nothing better to do, I downloaded the app and discovered – drumroll, please! – Surface Pattern Design! Suddenly, surface designers showed up in my feed. Till this day, I don’t know how this happened (I had no idea there was something like an algorithm). I had always been fascinated by ornaments and patterns. I even had a sketchbook dedicated to this “genre”. But never before could I explore so many beautiful patterns so easily! And there were even courses to take!
The first step in becoming a surface pattern designer!
In October, I enrolled in https://patternanddesign.com/ by Rachelle Holowko. I can highly recommend her course. The best thing is, unlike in other courses, she teaches pattern design with Illustrator and Photoshop equally. I tried Illustrator again, but it somehow doesn’t gel with my way of thinking. I’m still using Photoshop to make my patterns.
So yes, the saying is true: when one door closes, another one opens. Have you experienced that too?
At the end of May it was time for the art retreat with Cat Coquillette (instagram.com/catcoq) and Logan Elliott (instagram.com/flammable_entrepreneur), this time in Morocco.
Marrakech
Before the retreat, I spent one night in Marrakech. I was overwhelmed!
A shop in Marrakech.Spice market in Marrakech.
The Art Retreat
The art retreat was once again wonderfully organized by Andra from Uptrek (uptrek.com).
It took place in an old kasbah (= fortress) in the countryside near Agadir. Helène and Hassan had converted the kasbah into an eco-lodge. We were thoroughly spoiled (ecolodgemorocco.com).
It started with the food (tagine, couscous, desserts) and went on from the pool to a salt cave, massages and a hammam. Helène and Hassan showed us the tea ceremony. We watched how argan oil is made, and Helène introduced us to the world of Berber cosmetics. Mbark showed us how our names are written in Arabic and Berber.
An introduction to Arabic and Berber script.
The house was beautifully decorated. A dream for pattern designers! There were rugs everywhere, handcrafted details (every door was a unique carving) and plants.
Fatima’s hand on the carved door to our room.
The watercolor sessions with Cat took place at a long table by the pool.
She also gave portfolio reviews. Cat is always encouraging and generous!
Cat teaching by the pool.
I had decided to work with ink.
Different motifs in ink.
Logan gave us a structured introduction to the topic of “artpreneur” (how do I think like an entrepreneur as an artist?).
Logan talks about “mindset”.
This time, though, I learned the most from the other participants: about Instagram, website design and how to find your style.
What mattered most to me was exchanging ideas in the group.
Adam (instagram.com/adampalmeter) took portrait photos of us again. Hardly anyone went into the photo shoot feeling relaxed. But Adam managed to make us feel good about it, and the photos turned out great again!
The highlight, though, was once again the excursions: to the desert (a mini Sahara), to the sea (the fishing village of Taghazout) and to Agadir (to the souk, and by cable car up to the kasbah). Our guide Said had a lot to tell us.
Back in Marrakech
I had some more time in Marrakech. This time I could really enjoy it. I had learned a lot about the country and its people. I even dared to haggle (not my thing at all) and to eat at a stall on Jemaa El Fna (the big square in the middle of the medina) at night. The couscous tasted fantastic!
I came home with a long list of things I want to “implement”. The most important thing will be to put the individual points into practice slowly and steadily. For example, it’s time for an overhaul of my website!
With this blog post, I’ve made a start. I’d love to hear your comments! Have you ever been to Morocco? What was it like?
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