From my hood tagger t-shirt

I created this T-shirt for my son-in-law from my IN THE HOOD textile design. I created this design by walking around my (then) Berkeley neighborhood and photographing all the tags (grafitti) on sidwalks, stop sign, walls, garbage cans--once I started this process I began noticing tags all over the 'hood---quite amazing really. I lived in a rather upscale hood in the Berkeley hills--yet here was all this grafitti art everywhere!

Next I took my photos into Photoshop and played around with them until I created this design...

Then I had the t-shirt printed at Zappos.com....if you want one, just e-mail me! the price varies depending on the quality of the t-shirt. My son-in-law says he gets quite few comments on this t-shirt when he wears it.

Textile Design School

As some of you readers may know (and some may not...) I am a student at the California School of Professional Fabric Design in Berkeley, Ca. I am finishing up a design portfoilio that includes, among the many original designs, traditional textile designs--like this one...a traditional Jacquard design. This one is designed to be printed on fabric, rather than woven as Jacquards frequently are produced. This is the color rough for the handpainted design which is 18" x 24"---I am currently painting this in gouache; a lovely monotone in creams.

At the school we are learning many techniques for hand painted designs, as well as computer aided designing. The designs are surface pattern designs, and can be used on textiles, wallpaper, stationary, wrapping paper, rugs, dishes--any object that has an illustration or design on it.

In completing this school program I am following a dream I have had since I was in my teens----I have always wanted to design surface patterns for fabrics and paper goods, but never knew where to go to learn the process. Then, I discovered through a friend — this school right where I live---here in North Berkeley!

I plan to find work as a designer when I finish. I would love to work full time for a company who prefers me to create handpainted designs. I enjoy creating on the computer, but I love painting — it’s my ambition to get paid to design and paint all day

ah! and I also believe that ...way will open...when the time is right. Meanwhile, back to painting...

'Nother textile design

Last winter I found this cool old book on cut paper designs at a thrift store which inspired me to create a design by cutting paper--using an exacto knife. This past week I have been playing with my papercut design in Photoshop to make it into a textile design....

I have been rather absent here on my blog---I had blogger's "block"---but I have vowed to find something to post about at least every other day from now on.....so now I have published this---that vow should keep me posting...

so, dear readers, whom ever you may be--do check back here....as the creativity is again flowing...I hope your creativity is flowing, also!

New Fabric Design!!

My latest hand painted textile design....

It's all about texture.....with subtle colors.


Quote for today:
"Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future." — Robert L. Peters