#18 A classic with a twist

To keep in line with fashion, that seem to be in every news these days (all those fashion weeks), I wanted to create an alternative to a classic I love: the houndstooth. My first encounter with this pattern was my school uniform: a pleated skirt with a very small black and white hounstooth pattern, simple yet classic, of course I didn't like it at that moment, who can blame me, we were so young!

Also called houndstooth check or hound's tooth (Pata de gallo in Spanish), this duotone textile pattern is characterized by broken checks or abstract four-pointed shapes (often in black and white). They originated in woven wool cloth of the Scottish Lowlands, but are now used in many other materials. 

In my effort to try different techniques (who wants to playing it safe all the time?), I painted two checks with watercolours, scanned them and repeated them. The result is an imperfect but quite interesting pattern that I reckon it could look pretty good in a fabric and even a wall or wrapping paper. Do you concur? Opy x

#17½ VIVA la Vida

This is a special post to share with you this awesome note published in VIVA Wednesday 23 February. VIVA is a weekly magazine from the NZ Herald (one of the most important newspaper here) and celebrates "the good things in life". For me it has become like a bible for design, fashion and all things happening right now, right here (and out there). I've been a follower since my first job in NZ 9 years ago (yesterday was exactly 9 years since I first landed here, I know! Double WOW!). I am honoured and pleased that I was featured in one of the pages, I have to confess it was a dream to appear in the magazine, and I did! So this is a clear example that if you really want something and you work for it, it will eventually happen! (Important note: one must have a dream to follow, then, I believe, you are half way there). Let me thank not only the awesome team at VIVA, but also my family, friends, collegues and followers for the constant support and feedback, knowing what you think and feel is an important part of this project, it gives me energy and confidence to keep creating. So Thank You! Opy x

PS: this week's pattern come with a bit of a delay. I've been so over the moon that I haven't had a minute to sit and do... so watch this space!

#17 A la Moda

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. 

Coco Chanel

#16 NN

If you were expecting a Valentine's design, you are wrong my friends! 

I am not going to get into details why, enough said.

So instead I came up with this things, symbols or whatever you want to call them.

A Mandala? Who knows? I am not going to try to label it, because let's face it, just like in life, some things just don't have a reason to be. I mean, most of the time, themes have a sense, but sometimes, it is what it is, just triangles and circles, thrown together nicely for a pretty pattern that hopefully some day will become a textile for a cushions or a duvet cover. What a dreamer this pattern! Oh well, they do say that if you are gonna dream, may as well dream big, no? Love, Opy ♥

#15 Band of Peculiar Dogs

Last weekend was a long one, so with a bit of extra time in my hands, I started drawing these dogs and thinking what if they have a life? A peculiar personality? Something different...