Hello and welcome.
I am an emerging surface pattern designer but I have been creating in one form or another since I was a child - it's in my blood and if I am not creating or immersed in nature I feel like part of me is missing. I love going on country drives or bush walks with my camera in hand, to gather inspiration for my designs and illustrations.
After living in several different locations in NSW and the ACT, I have settled at the foothills of the NSW Snowy Mountains in the Monaro region of Australia, in a charming 1960's weatherboard cottage surrounded by large gum trees and nature. The cottage is situated in remnant bushland from nearby North Ridge Reserve and there are lots of birds and wildlife visitors... which are an endless source of inspiration for my designs and illustrations.
Growing up in Sydney I used to frequent the markets in Paddington, Glebe and Balmain before deciding to start making and selling at Glebe markets in the late 1990's. This led me to undertake a Bachelor of Applied Arts, with a Textiles Major, at the College of Fine Arts, UNSW. I was in my 30's at this time, so a bit of a late bloomer, but went on to undertake more tertiary education over the years, including a Certificate III in Printing & Graphic Arts (Graphic Pre-press) in 2009 and Certificate II Printing & Graphic Arts (Screen Printing) in 2012, among other studies, courses, workshops and lots of creative pursuits.
My two favourite creatives are women who achieved great success later in life: Florence Broadhurst and Rosalie Gascoigne.
I have my own brand - Pinch River - that is rooted in nature and celebrates slow and intentional living. The designs take inspiration from Australia's unique native flora and fauna. Sustainable basecloths are printed with my designs, and I make and source lovely handmade products to round out the offering. This brand has a very distinct aesthetic with earthy colours and natural textiles, such as pure linen and hemp/organic cotton.
Now I'm adding this portfolio site to the mix. A place I can showcase my surface pattern design library and collections in the making, my art and my illustrations. As I start on this journey the plan for this first year is to add lots of new designs to my Spoonflower shop, build a pattern library and create textile collections. The Gaby Tagliapietra brand is a work-in-progress, I have just set out on this journey and don't yet know where it will land in terms of my signature style, but I'm going to enjoy playing around with many and varied styles, themes and colours in the process, and bring you lots of lovely designs.
The long-term aim is to become a licensed surface pattern designer and while I don't yet have an extensive portfolio and I am not currently actively seeking licensing agreements if you are an art director or brand and like what you see please get in touch. I'm happy to re-size and re-colour my designs.
You can also find me here:
+ Spoonflower: www.spoonflower.com/profiles/gaby_tagliapietra - or visit the Shop tab above
+ Gaby Tagliapietra :: Instagram: www.instagram.com/gabytagliapietra - accompanies this website and my Spoonflower shop
+ Pinch River :: Website: www.pinchriver.com.au - or visit the Shop tab above
+ Pinch River :: Instagram: www.instagram.com/pinchriver and Facebook:
www.facebook.com/PinchRiver and Pinterest: au.pinterest.com/pinchriver - accompanies my Pinch River website
+ Yellow Tail Cottage :: Instagram: www.instagram.com/yellowtailcottage and Facebook: www.facebook.com/yellowtailcottage - where I share images from my cottage and garden
+ Snowy Monaro Places :: Instagram: www.instagram.com/snowymonaroplaces and Facebook: www.facebook.com/snowymonaroplaces - where I share photographs of the region I live in
