Linear Sakura

I found an app called Amaziograph that helps make awesome repeat patterns. I can doodle on my ipad and it does all the repeats and transformations. It's very meditative and awesome.

Kaleidoscope: Trillium

Part of a series based on my ice dyeing adventures.

Glacier Kaleidoscope

Here's my entry for the Spoonflower National Parks contest:

Peony II

Another element for my peony patterns.

Peonies -- Work in Progress

I'm working on a motif for some spring floral patterns. Peonies are my favorite flower.

India Prints

Tonight's pattern doodle is inspired by all the block printing and interesting motifs I saw in India. Included are architectural elements, the moon, sweets, temple bells, cobras, and the lotus flower.

Spotted: San Francisco Japantown

I just spent a week in San Francisco's Japantown on a business trip, and took a few days off for fun. It's my favorite city! Here's some of the inspiration I found during my travels.

In Japantown, I stumbled across a really cool clothing shop called SOU SOU which features patterned items by designer Katsuji Wakisaka. Wakisaka was the first Japanese designer to work for the Finnish design house Marimekko. I was able to purchase some small pieces of cloth for only a few dollars. The numbers print reminds me of my work with typewriter and letterpress type, so I had to have it.

I also found some lovely scraps at a store called Neat Asian Things, which sells fabric by the yard. They are located in the Kinokuniya building in Japantown, or online at neatasianthings.com.

I also enjoyed the sakura blossom pattern incorporated into this wallpaper mural on the hotel room wall inside Hotel Tomo.

White on color

For tonight's pattern postcards, I colored the cards with solid blocks of color and then drew on the surface with white pencil.

Theory of Tiled Patterns

Over the last few days I've put together a short video demo on the theory behind rectangular repeat tiles. It's my first instructional video, so I'd love to hear your feedback. I plan to do more that touch on more of the mathematical background, but I wanted to keep the first one brief.

Theory of Tiled Patterns from Ann Kilzer on Vimeo.

Paint chip wildflowers

I see these flowers by the roadside on my way to work.

Texas bluebonnets

Today my inspiration comes from the lovely bluebonnets I see by the side of the highway. I found a few with my camera last weekend near Town Lake:

The best patterns always come from studying things in real life, so here is my study:

And here is my pattern:

Paper flowers

Tonight I made flowers from a mail catalog.

Abstract Flowers