USA Work Trip – ABSPD Alumni Meet Up

On a recent work trip to the US I was fortunate enough to meet up with a lovely group of the students & Alumni of ‘The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design (the e-course)’ (from left to right: Alik, Margaret, me, Hannah & Mary). It is always wonderful to to get to meet the students in person & chat about their experiences & successes during & after the course & I feel so grateful to be part of their journeys.

Are you having your own ABPSD meet-up? Let us know by leaving a comment or on the ABSPD Facebook page & we will share them with our fantastic community!

You can find out more about my trip to the US on previous posts including my inspirational trips to the Boston Marina & Boston Aquarium & getting to meet my agent Lilla Rogers for the first time!

Alik Arzoumanian is an illustrator and surface pattern designer living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. She was trained as an illustrator at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, and had been mainly busy illustrating children’s books until she decided to pursue her love of pattern, and signed up for ABSPD. She has been busy making patterns since. You can visit Alik’s website here & connect with her on Facebook & Twitter.

Margaret Applin is a self-taught artist from Massachusetts who is passionate about color, shape and pattern design.  She enjoys deconstructing, repurposing and transforming art as much as she enjoys creating new designs from scratch.  Her love of fiber art, mixed-media and exploration of surface pattern design combined with her digital skills allows Margaret to create unique designs in a variety of styles but always fresh, textured and playfully elegant! You can visit Margaret”s website here.

Hannah Milkins is a lover of all things decorative, swirly and beautiful. Currently she is an aspiring pattern designer and illustrator based out of New York’s Capital Region. Since taking The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design course she has been having fun experimenting, refining her style and building a professional portfolio. She looks forward to continuing her pattern journey as she makes new friends and takes next steps into the wonderful world of design! You can visit Hannah’s website here & connect with her on Facebook.

Mary Tanana is a designer who is inspired by many things; art, photography, gardening, landscapes and nature. She’s had a life-long love affair with anything patterned, and after a long and successful career as an award winning jewellery designer, she has once again embraced her first love of surface pattern design. Mary originally studied fashion illustration, and has adapted her fascination with textures and patterns into a unique design style. Her style is influenced by the diverse art and architecture she observed while traveling and living overseas. Follow Mary on her blog or Facebook and take a look at her portfolio here.