By DANIEL SMITH Brand Ambassador, Kathleen McElwaine
One of my earliest childhood memories is going to the fabric store with my mom. As I looked at all the beautiful fabrics with painterly designs, I was torn – when I grow up, should I be a fine artist or a fabric designer?
Being a working and teaching artist became my path, and now with the popularity of digitally printing custom designs on fabric, my students and I get the best of both worlds.
I designed this fabric to decorate a child’s room for Valentine’s Day. I painted small whimsical bears, flowers and balloons on bright white hot-press paper, separating the elements with white space. The edges need to be crisp and clear so I can easily move the elements into a repeat pattern on my computer, after scanning the painting.
I work with DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors in my original art, because their vibrant pigments always give me great results that I can print on soft, flowing fabric for sewing clothing and home décor. Smooth layers of transparent color contrast beautifully with the texture of granulating colors when reproduced on fabric.
