Megan Isabella in an artist from Perth, WA. She transforms her floral, vintage inspired artwork into surface patterns for fabric and other products. Megan Isabella launched her brand with her debut collection of cushions, The Tropical Collection in 2015. Megan is also partnering with Australian lifestyle brands to create some custom collaborative products. Her future plans are to expand the product line into beautiful lifestyle products that feature her original artwork.
Image Credit: 1) Megan Isabella 2) Etsy 3) Connected Goods 4) Etsy 5) Apartment Therapy
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
Illustration and graphic design are my two great loves and I have found a way to combine them through surface pattern design. Hand-drawn line work combined with bold flat colours is what gives my illustrations their distinctive style.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
I put together a mood board first paying attention to what’s popular. When I am ready to look for motif inspiration for my illustrations, I will either head outside on a walk to snap some images with my iPhone, Google specific flowers & plants online for reference, or I dive through my archives of sketches.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
It’s really hard to pick one person when every client and collaboration has challenged and inspired me. Most recently I have come to get to know Kerrie Allen, owner of Guerilla Creative – a design hub that aims to support local designers. I had a strategy session with Kerrie and it felt amazing to verbalize my thoughts to someone who was able to give me specific, constructive feedback I can work with.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
Apart from the research on trends, I don’t think I really go actively looking for inspiration because it tends to find me on it’s own terms. Ideas can sometimes start as mere curiosity and can jump into your mind and pay you a visit at any given moment.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
It’s been years of learning, observing, trying things out, making average work, failing, changing careers. I’ve come to realize it’s a journey and good things take time to develop. Don’t be afraid to just try things and see if you like it. Make art because it brings you joy. If you focus on making art to make an income, you can put too much pressure on yourself and the process, which gets in the way of discovering the artist within.
