Memories of old summer days

Hello again. I've been considering how to do this pattern all day and finally bit the bullet and committed to something a little more complex and more process intensive than some of my usual patterns. I have had a great time lately drawing in my sketchbook with graphite and carbon pencil and wanted to try something today involving that process.

Here's a Egyptian Lotus flower in a limited negative space pattern. I've seen other types of lotus flowers on my trips up north to my grandparents' cabin a couple times. I remember going on canoe trips with my dad early in the morning so we could catch a glimpse of the open lotus flowers before the mid-day sun made them close back up.

It's been a couple years since I've had that experience, and it may be many more years before I get that experience again. At least I remember it fondly.
***


Here's the original sketch before I added all of the shading and the coloring

It's freezing here now. I'm sure that anyone else that lives somewhere in the Midwest (or any place to the North) knows what I'm talking about. Some of these memories are possibly surfacing because I'm sitting here freezing my butt off.

I visited L.A. last week with Jenny and Francesca and though it was pretty nice down there in the 50s, I still found myself happy to come home to good ol' frigid Minneapolis.

It doesn't mean I don't pine for warmer days... Until then, I'll make due with wearing a million sweaters and cuddling with these cats.

Daily Pattern : By the Sea

Francesca and I were talking about vacations today. The closest that I'm going to come to a vacation in the next several months will be a trip to my parents house in Wisconsin. Though it's no tropical paradise (I'd take a cold paradise over a warm one any day), it'll be a nice, relaxing time away from the city.

I made this pattern with a feeling as my inspiration. I tend to savor those moments when I'm alone. I was thinking about those moments when it's late at night and there is no one up except for the moths. I was also thinking about the few times I've been able to get away and just be. I was upstairs in my home studio tonight to relax and ended up making this pattern. It started as a late night doodle, then turned into this. I was just sitting here thinking. I've had a long day filled with all sorts of projects, people, and places to be. I had just an hour and a half to myself before bed-time.

If this is as close as I can get to a lonely sea voyage, I'll take it. At least I'll have this moment to myself.


A Detail shot of the sea

Light Grey Art Lab + Daily Pattern!

We have some exciting news this week!



First off I'd like to say we're doing great with our Light Grey Art Lab Kickstarter Project, and appreciate everyone who's contributed thus far, but we've still got a long way to go, and we need a big boost!

So we're going to have a series of limited, exclusive prizes to get some new people to contribute ASAP!

I'm pleased to announce our very special 'Daily Pattern' reward tier! For the next week, anyone who donates $40* dollars or more to our Light Grey Art Lab Kickstarter Project will get to choose a Daily Pattern topic and have a Daily Pattern made just for them!

All of us at Paper Bicycle and Light Grey Art Lab really want to hit our goal of $10,000 (remember, if we don't hit the goal, we get nothing!!), so we wanted to do something super special to get you to contribute! In addition to your own, personalized pattern, you get a special 'thank you' shout-out when it's posted on the blog! And you get a high-res file to use as you'd like!**

Print it out and frame it! Use it to make wedding invites! Print out fabric and make a quilt! Make it a background on your blog or twitter page! Print out wrapping paper to wrap presents for your mom! It's totally up to you!

This is a very limited offer, both in quantity and time! We're only doing 50 custom patterns and when they're gone, they're gone! Starting as of right this second, you have until Sunday, April 2nd to reserve your pattern!

Please hurry over to our Kickstarter page and contribute now!

Then you can have your own special Daily Pattern to impress your friends with!

*If you'd like to donate more than $40 and still receive the custom Daily Pattern, please email chris(at)paperbicycle.com to arrange it. We'd be more than happy to oblige!

**These Daily Patterns are for non-commercial use only. Once the Kickstarter campaign wraps up, we will contact you about what pattern topic you'd like. We will begin making the patterns at the close of our Kickstarter campaign, doing at least one per day, so please be patient until we get to yours.

***Please note this is a Limited Time Offer to entice new contributors. This reward does not apply to previous contributors.

Daily Pattern : Old Green Eyes

Ah yes. I can't believe it's already Thursday. How the heck did this week pass us so fast? It seems like just yesterday it was the beginning of January, doesn't it? Time flies when you're having fun.

Thinking about time also reminds me of something my dad always says:

"You get more done when you're busy."

You like that quote? Me too. If you really think about it, it's totally true. When you've got a to-do list a mile long, there isn't time for dawdling. There's only time for doing. Time for getting things done and doing them fast.



Anyone out there feel like they're running at breakneck speed, too? What do you do to relax? What's your favorite way to gain back a little you time? Traveling? Reading? Watching TV?

This is what I'll call a stream of consciousness pattern. Not sure where it came from or what is going on. This is one of the many ways I get in a little relaxing time. Figures, doesn't it?

Repeating Recipes! A New Daily Pattern Project & Contest!

Are you enjoying the last week of the year? Starting to think about your New Year's resolutions? I am. I haven't quite narrowed them down to something manageable, but I do know that going to bed at a reasonable hour is one of them. Good thing it isn't the first of the year yet. Apparently I'll still continue with my old ways of staying up til 3am and posting on the blog until I absolutely have to change my ways.

So! Without further ado!

For the rest of this year, and up through January 27th, we'll be adding a fun facet to our Daily Pattern Project! As you might have known, all of us went home this weekend to visit our respective families over Christmas and were delighted with home cooked meals, desserts a-plenty, and tons of dishes we haven't tasted in far too long. This month, we want to share some of those flavors with you by doing a whole month of patterns around the topic FOOD.

And for those of your asking about our daily pattern contests? You're in luck and we're starting up our pattern contests again this month on the topic of Food!
Think of your own favorite meals! What kind of edible goodies might you want to turn into patterns?
Watch for the official invite later this week with all the contest details and a photo of this month's prize!

Ok, ok, I'll hurry up and get to bed already.
Hope you're setting more reasonable New Year's resolutions than I am. This habit is going to be a hard one to break!

Daily Pattern: Down with the Sickness

Topic: Health

It's winter now and the dread disease to the Paper Bicycle office this year. Alyssa seems to have dodged the bullet (so far) but everyone else has gotten really, horribly ill in the past few weeks.

And not just a little sick. The kind of sick where all you can do is lie in bed, stare at the ceiling and silently beg for a merciful reprieve.

If you took a microscope to my desk looking for germs I'm sure you'd find this pattern (hint: the sickness is the green part).

Daily Pattern: Harry Potter

Topic: Owls

By now I think it's fairly clear that I like a lot of things one would classify as "nerdy". Harry Potter is up there on my list of nerdy things I like. It's been awhile since I've read the books now, but I wouldn't mind reading them again.

Daily Pattern: Fall Textures

Topic: Thankful

Thanksgiving is always a good time for me. It's the perfect holiday for me: laid back, lazy and chill. It also takes place during my favorite season. Fall. My memories of Thanksgivings-past are all tinged with the warm colors of the fall leaves. Like a cheesy sepia-toned flashback in real life.

Daily Pattern : Girly Snowman

Topic: Snowman

Every year we (at Paper Bicycle) do COUNTLESS numbers of snowmen, snowflakes, and Christmas / Winter themed icons and projects for people. Christmas seems to be our number 1 business, always. I am not surprised. I am totally one of those people that gets super excited about Christmas every single year and collects ornaments and Vintage Christmas cards every chance I get.

This pattern is a special one to me. The VERY FIRST pattern I ever made with a snowman in it was one I did for my very first design job out of college. (It was also one of my very first patterns ever!) I did a super girly, pink snowman pattern. This one is a a throwback to the days of olde! Yeah, pink snowman! You'll forever be in my heart.

Daily Pattern: Watercolor Snowmen

There was the first snowfall of the year this weekend (the day of our party, of course) and for a while there was a nice, crisp, quiet texture covering the whole city.

Now it's getting grimy and slushy, but it was nice while it lasted.

These Snowmen come from that first day's clean refreshing snow...

Daily Pattern : Lingerie

Topic : Underwear

If you're going to bother to wear any underwear at all, you should always try your best to make it cute, comfortable, and clean. This goes for everyone. Who knows why or how you will end up in your underwear, really. But if you are going to be down to your skivvies, you should make sure you're sporting something impressive rather than depressive for whomever is there as a witness.

Daily Pattern: Boxers or Briefs?

Speaking of dance parties - we had an almost serious conversation about what type of underwear is most conducive to strutting your stuff on the dance floor. Despite compelling points from each group, we're a party divided. Some guys prefer the comfort provided by boxer briefs, others roll with classic tightie-whities, and one person in particular, who shall not be named, likes his underwear to float around his legs like a skirt...

Daily Pattern: Broken Geometry

Topic: Geo

Have you ever been driving on a long stretch of road and had that terrible realization that you can't remember anything about the last hour? You don't remember what you passed, how fast you were going or if you were even conscious?

Yeah.

Daily Pattern : Who, Me?

Topic : Owl

Today was a crazy day. I feel like I got to soak up all the social interaction I had been missing for the past week... all in one day!
It was pretty awesome - I'm super excited for all of the new projects that are coming down the pike, including an awesome project that I'll be helping a friend with. Super exciting!

Plus, we're gearing up for our cupcake-dance-party on Saturday! I wish all of you guys could come! Wish us luck - we've got lots of cupcakes to make and a bunch of decorations to get together!

Here are some surly owls!

Daily Pattern: Owl Pellets

Topic: Owls

A fond memory from middle school was dissecting owl pellets at camp. Bones, dirt, (kind of) vomit? What more could a young man want? Finding an actual owl pellet in the woods is a special occasion, indeed.

Daily Pattern: Barn Owls

Topic: Owl

When I was a kid I had a fascination with raptors, birds of prey. I remember putting together a binder of pictures I found in magazines as part of a 'research project'. Everyone knew about the great horned owl, and I assumed all owls must look like those. But then I found a picture of a barn owl and its weird ghostly face. I decided they must be the best owl.

Daily Pattern: Wedding Bands

Topic: Rings

Alyssa had the best idea about doing a Beyoncé pattern, and I sort of still just want to finish the Beyoncé illustration I started (that would have been a pattern), but I suppose Beyoncé would approve of some wedding rings, anyway.

Daily Pattern : Ring Tails

Topic : Ring

One of my favorite animals at the zoo is the ring-tailed lemur!
They look like a cross between a monkey and a cat, and are super funny!
I love them and their funny little hands! This was an easy choice for the "ring" topic.

Today was crazy! I had a meeting in Arkansas today so I got up, got on a plane, had a meeting, got back on a plane, and then made this pattern!
It was really nice to sit down and do this after a long day!

Daily Pattern: Linked Rings

Rings, rings all linked together! In a chain.

Flavour'd Milk

Topic: Ring

Rings are round with holes in them. So are fruit loops. I don't actually like fruit loops very much, I've always been a trix man myself.