San Francisco-based artist Jen Garrido can be described in one word: effervescent. And I mean that both personally and artistically! I had the great joy of meeting Jen in her studio, where she regaled me with stories about her beautiful baby daughter, spilt paint, and the adventures of balancing motherhood and art. Jen is bubbly and happy, qualities which I genuinely believe can be witnessed in her work. 
A real go-getter, Jen rarely sketches first. Instead, she prefers to dig right in and just get started painting. When I visited her studio, she had stacks upon stacks of hand-bound sketchbooks full of her vibrant, undulating work. I think I could spend hours sifting through them all … and still never decide which is my favorite! 
Using oil and acrylic paints, Jen often pairs neon brights with muddy, toned down colors. Nature-based forms are almost rhythmic in feel, but also very modern. Jen pulls a lot of inspiration from vintage prints and artwork she finds at flea markets. She is also inspired by other artists, such as Keltie Ferris, Amy Sillman, and Charline Von Heyl. 
{images via Jen Garrido}
With a hint of nostalgia and plenty of whimsy, the designs by Ben the Illustrator bring to mind happy days full of child-like glee and open-eyed wonder. The patterns achieve the perfect balance of playfulness and modernity.
Each print features a saturated color palette rooted in primaries. And that eggy yellow might just be my favorite color in the world, especially when paired with a tomato-red and stark white!
Ben’s work shows a great range of techniques: crisply drawn shapes mix with painterly brushstroked abstractions; thin linework stands in contrast against solid colored grounds. Each print creates a small world with lots to explore.
{Images via Ben the Illustrator}
Prone to simple silhouettes and clean lines in my home, I often have a tough time mixing in print and color. Kitchen textiles seem like a good place to experiment—perhaps because they can serve both aesthetic and practical purposes. I absolutely love the casualness of these screen-printed textiles from Hong Kong-based Ferse Verse, especially how easily the different patterns can be paired together. I’m not normally one to mix and match, but I could see myself setting the table with the five napkins above!
Made of 100 percent cotton feed sack, I love the thick weave of the fabric. I bet these tea towels feel heavenly, but are also very absorbent—perfect for all of my cooking mishaps.
And how darling is this half-apron? Not only is it useful, it is in one of my all-time favorite color combinations of pink and red!
{Images via Ferse Verse}
Looking for inspiration? I’m talkin’ intense color combinations, superb styling, and amazing photography. Look no further than ANONA. Simply put, ANONA is a Philadelphia-based boutique print design studio that offers seasonal curated print collections for the apparel and home decor industries. In plainspeak, this means that the artists at ANONA specialize in hand-drawn and hand-painted artwork for a variety of aesthetics and even have the ability to create original artwork for special requests. These prints could be featured on anything from a printed blouse to an embroidered pillow.
Project #3, the series you see here, is inspired by origami. The studio printed their original designs onto paper and then folded each print into sculptural objects which were then photographed and digitally manipulated. The result is an amazingly rich visual story. I love their balance of rich color and dense abstract patterning, while also offering simple geometrics and cute, hand-drawn insect prints. The sculptural aspect of each image takes ANONA’s work beyond simply being print-based and makes them a true force in the creative world.
{Images via ANONA. Photography by Colin Leaman.}
The work of Katie Rodgers, aka Paperfashion, transports you to another place … to some dreamland far away where ballet dancers frolic, where the snow always glistens, and where women still wear gloves. Ever inspired by the whimsical moments in life, Katie seeks that unique spark in moments that many find to be mundane. A true artist, she layers many different types of media on top of her watercolor and ink illustrations. From glitter to sequins, even tulle, Katie has evolved her work while staying true to her distinctly feminine aesthetic.
What I truly love the most about Katie’s work is how unapologetically feminine her pieces can be. Each painting and sketch tells a fantastical story, one that shows her imagination and fresh perspective. As a good friend of Katie’s, every time I see her newest pieces on her blog, I can’t help but get caught up in her vision of the world and just how blissful life can be!
If you are interested in learning more about Katie’s tricks and techniques, she is teaching a class on Skillshare starting today!
{All images via Paperfashion}
