Hello, my dear friend,

Towards the end of the month, I came down with the flu, and it was awful. For about a week, I wasn’t good for much, but I’m definitely feeling better now. Here’s what I worked on art-wise before I got sick:

As you may know, working small is truly my cup of tea, but despite that, I decided to work on A3-sized paper for my painted patterns. No matter how tiny a brush I used (even with a magnifying glass!), I still couldn’t achieve the level of detail I wanted.

Of course, working larger comes with its own set of challenges: it takes more time, more paint, and the biggest hurdle—scanning the artwork. I have a good A4 scanner, but this means I have to scan the painting in multiple sections and stitch it together digitally.

Below, you can see another pattern inspired by The Secret Garden. I’m rereading the book with my daughter and still loving it. That’s the magic of a great book—no matter how many times you read it or how well you know the story, it always feels fresh and new.

You can download this illustration as a wallpaper, available exclusively for you as a subscriber (check your email for the password). You can also find it on Spoonflower and Redbubble.

Below, I’ll share a few process photos.

I used a very limited color palette—just three colors plus white. With variations of the three primary colors, you can mix quite a wide range of additional shades.

More patterns

I took one of my previous patterns and painted it in gouache, aiming for a monochrome, silhouetted look with a touch of detail. However, working small (on A4 in this case) didn’t allow me to include as much detail as I wanted. That said, I’m happy with how it turned out overall.

You can find this design also through Spoonflower and Redbubble.

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I also painted a design featuring acorns and oak leaves. I’m happy with the painted elements, but I couldn’t quite find a background color that suited it the way I wanted. This design is also available through Spoonflower and Redbubble.

For a Spoonflower challenge, I created a pattern in a geometric style. Though I’m not used to working this way, I have to admit—it was actually pretty fun!

You can find it also through Spoonflower and Redbubble and as a digital wallpaper for you.

Sketchbook

Through sickness and health, I managed to keep up with my small daily sketch. It actually brings a sense of comfort, even in the toughest times… And did you notice? I managed to introduce color!