Native and endangered flora and fauna with a Mid-Century Modern vibe
It's 1975 and everything is burnt orange. Stripes are back and we're planting native florals. Brown done right. It's California Love.
“Fallbrook” gilded greeting card with “Joshua Tree toile” envelope.
Color Palette
The California Love color palette pulls tones directly from nature, usually from my own backyard! Monarch butterflies bring a bright. vibrant orange in contrast with the cool blues of the Agave plant. The natural ocher and umber earth pigments combines with terra cotta, pumpkin and rust oranges to keep this palette warm and grounded. This palette brings neutrals to life with sand and clay beiges, coastal fog grays, and redwood forest wood browns.
Iconography
This collection celebrates the native flora and fauna of California including the West Coast Painted Lady butterfly, the Sphinx moth, blue maize, coastal sunflowers, blooming aloe vera, buckwheat, garlic ristras, blue agave, roadrunner, burrowing owl, and coyote.
Lettering
Bandanas / Neckerchiefs
Traditional bandana style with a native Californian update, specifically designed for screen printing using only 2 inks on 22” square fabric.
California Golden Poppies
Watercolor golden poppies hand painted from my own backyard as a floral pattern on avocado and sepia abstract backgrounds.
California Golden Poppy tile pattern on silk scarf.
California Coastal Sunflowers
California coastal bush sunflowers hand painted in my own backyard. These designs celebrate bright yellow, ocher, sepia, and avocado green with coordinating striped patterns.
Blue Agave
These blue florals and coordinating abstract patterns feature giant blue agave plants from which tequila is made.
Sphinx Moth
This sphinx moth was resting on my front porch and stole my heart. Rust, silver, puce, and sand tones in the wings of this moth are turned into abstract patterns.
Sphinx Moth rust pattern on dinnerware and linens
West Coast Painted Lady
The West Coast Painted Lady is a vibrant orange and brown/black native butterfly that inspired much of the mid-century modern color palette in this collection.
West Coast Painted Lady design on wall art and chair upholstery with coordinating striped pattern on woven rug and wallpaper.
Buckwheat
California buckwheat begins in Spring as pale pink and white flowers and matures over our hot summers into deep rust and coral tones.
Buckwheat floral and striped patterns on cotton aprons.
Joshua Tree Toiles
Sketches of the Joshua Tree desert landscape using sepia India ink and traditional dip pen featuring howling coyotes, roadrunners, and owls.
Joshua Tree Coyote Moon toile pattern on stationery set with gilded greeting card.
Blue Maize
I grew a tiny field of blue maize in my front yard this year just so I could paint these beautiful ears of corn from life. Bundles of blue maize are set on umber brown and sand tones.
Blue Maize and garlic patterns on stationery set.
Aloe Vera
This blooming aloe vera succulent design features bright orange, red, ocher, avocado, and deep forest green. I have painted twisting manzanita branches as floral pattern with blooming aloe plants and native butterflies.
Aloe Vera surface pattern and piece on wallpaper, wall art, woven rug, and upholstered chair.
Native California Butterflies
Monarch Butterfly Quetzalpapalotl bandana.