who am i

Surface pattern designer, illustrator, educator and creative business owner, based in Melbourne, Australia. 

Working professionally since 2019, licensing artwork across fabric, home décor, stationery, fashion and gifts. I also teach aspiring surface designers, particularly around art licensing as a career.

I came to this later in life, after becoming a mum and going through a period of feeling creatively and personally lost.

Surface design gave me direction. That's why I teach from experience, not theory. I know what rejection feels like. I know self-doubt, pricing headaches, contract questions, the blocks that show up out of nowhere.

I'm optimistic, but realistic and I have a soft spot for artists still figuring things out.

Jump to:

quirks

fun bits

The Studio

quirk #1

I love sitting in front of the oven door after I've popped in a sourdough, just watching it rise. My husband calls it the Bread TV.

quirk #2

I talk to my dahlias. Things I say: "Why haven't you sprouted yet? We had an agreement."
"You look so pretty today, well done."

quirk #3

We adopted a five-year-old ragdoll. She likes to burrow into the sheets with me every morning — I've become a very willing human hot water bottle.

Meet mable:

Mable is all about turning ordinary moments into joyful things. She's spent years figuring out how to turn a sketchbook into a licensing career, and she'll happily talk all things surface design, if you let her.

Binge watches:

I'm a real sucker for wholesome shows

Beverage of choice:

Coffee with tiger nut milk

hidden talent:

I have a fascination for fermentation. I make my own yoghurt, sourdough and water kefir

favorite dessert:

Mint chocolate chip ice cream

most often found:

Brushing my cat's coat

Meet the team:

Chris

Handsome husband to Jo (who is, in fact, writing this bio) and our studio manager, Chris is a numbers geek who thrives on spreadsheets and Dr. Pepper. We'd be completely lost without him!

Meet Joanna ⟶

Binge watches:

All the Star Wars movies once a year

Beverage of choice:

Dr. Pepper

hidden talent:

I can lick my elbow. Does that count?

favorite dessert:

Anything with peanut butter!

most often found:

Tinkering with old film cameras

My Studio

My studio looks out onto camellia bushes, and in spring, the plum tree bursts into white flowers that look like snow. I've got a bird feeder just outside my window, and it thrills me every time the doves come for lunch.

Every design starts life in a sketchbook, gets drawn and digitised on my Wacom Cintiq in Adobe Illustrator.

Follow me on YouTube to watch me create.