illustrator. surface pattern designer. creative entrepreneur

About Mel.

Hi there! I'm Mel, and while I'm originally from beautiful New Zealand, I've spent much of my professional life immersed in the vibrant creative scene of Australia. As an illustrator and surface pattern designer, I've had the incredible opportunity to see my art featured on products around the world. Sharing my knowledge and connecting with fellow creatives is something I truly love. I've been fortunate enough to inspire the careers of hundreds of talented artists and surface pattern designers in my signature course, ‘ The Art & Joy of Surface Pattern Design .’ I'm so excited to continue sharing my love for design and helping others bring their creative visions to life!

OUT IN THE WORLD

Seeing my work come to life.

A few of the brands I've had the pleasure of licensing my patterns to, from fabric to dog beds to jigsaw puzzles. Have a look through, and see where these designs have ended up.

cloud9 fabrics

Vexyls

Indie boho pets

Phoebe fabrics

aspiring walls

SEE MORE COLLABORATIONS

GETTING TO KNOW ME

Beyond the sketchbook.

A little bit about the person behind the patterns

I started this whole career at 40, after years as a burnt out software engineer

Fabric is my strongest licensing category, and a real standout for me

I've contributed to the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook

I don't use AI to generate art. Every piece I make and licence is hand drawn

I'm severely allergic to cats, so naturally I own two of them.

So that's me. A former burnt out software engineer who traded a corporate career for gouache, patterns, cute illustrations inspired by the stories from my kids. I make art, I teach what I actually earn from, and I still get excited every time a design I've drawn ends up on a real, physical product.

WORK WITH ME

let's talk

I'd love to hear from you.

Whether it's licensing a design, a book collaboration, or something else entirely, I love working with people who care about creating beautiful things. Get in touch and let's talk about it.