Please join us in celebrating this month’s spotlight surface designer, Kathrin Legg. We know you’ll find her story inspiring!
Please introduce yourself.
I was born in Germany and raised in Australia. I have always been creative for as long as I can remember. My parents encouraged my creative persuits as I experimented with ceramics, painting, wood carving, scuplture, drawing and photography.
I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Newcastle, Australia and not long after I found art licensing which opened up a new world for me.
Tell us a little bit about your design journey.
One day I was browsing through the craft section of a bookshop and I stumbled across a book called “I Just Like To Make Things” by Lilla Rogers. I could easily relate to the title so I immediately was drawn to the book. I found that Lilla was offering the MATS course that year and I enrolled and was introduced to art licensing.
Since this, I have been busy building up my design portfolio and I have licensed my illustrations and patterns worldwide for fabric, shoes, phone covers, greeting cards, stationery and home decor items. I have also started my own line of greeting cards and 100% Australian-made matching tea towels.
Do you have a favorite portfolio design or client collaboration?
One of my personal favorite designs is my ‘Wildflowers’ pattern. It is a pattern of my most favorite flowers in a soft pastel color palette that is charming and classic. It suits so many products from stationery to home decor pillows, wallpaper or bedding. It doesn’t follow a set trend, it is timeless and tranquil and represents my style. I want my illustrations to convey feelings of the simple life, which for me brings back lots of beautiful childhood memories. I was raised on a farm in Northern NSW, Australia so wildflowers, country picnics, vegetable gardens and home cooked meals are nostalgic for me.
What or who are you inspired by?
I come from a family of creative people, art teachers and sculptors. They are my inspiration to keep following my creative dreams but also to be flexible about how I can achieve in a career that I love.
Do you have resources you’d like to recommend?
I really enjoyed the MATS courses, they opened up a new world for me and I sped up my workflow when I started to use Procreate on my iPad. I still love to use traditional watercolor paints but that is more when I create for myself and when I need a break from screens!
What do you like to do outside of surface design?
I love running! It gives me the headspace to daydream without interruption and also to organise my thoughts and plan my next step.
When you look back at your design journey so far, what are you most proud of?
My grit, to never give and keep going even when somedays it felt like it was all too hard to make it in the surface pattern design world.
I pushed through the hard days when it would have been easier just to give up. I got up early and stayed up late when my babies were small because it is my passion to design and I wanted my career to work.
If you could offer advice to other designers who are struggling, what would that be?
Keep going! Success is not linear.
Where can we find you?
Website: kathrinlegg.com
Instagram: @kathrin_legg
Kathrin’s work is so sweet. I’m in love with her colour palettes and cute animals.