Behind the Art: A Look Inside My Creative Process

November 3, 2026

Every piece of artwork starts somewhere. Sometimes it begins with a color combination, a photograph, a shape, or an unexpected bit of inspiration.

Here’s a look at how I take an idea from that first spark to a finished illustration; and sometimes an entire collection.

Have you ever wondered what happens before an illustration becomes a finished piece of art?

For me, the creative process usually begins long before I pick up my pencil or start drawing on my iPad. It starts with noticing things, collecting inspiration, and imagining all the possibilities an idea might hold.

Sometimes I have a fairly clear vision of what I want to create. Other times, I simply find myself drawn to something interesting and want to explore it a little further. I love both approaches because you never quite know where an idea might lead.

After more than 25 years in design, I've learned that creating artwork is about more than making something look beautiful. It's also about experimenting, problem-solving, making decisions, and allowing yourself the flexibility to discover something unexpected along the way.

So, let's take a peek behind the scenes at how my creative process unfolds.

Step 1: Gathering Inspiration

Before I begin creating, I usually spend some time gathering inspiration.

An idea might be sparked by something I've noticed in nature, an interesting color combination, a photograph, or even something completely unexpected.

I've always been a collector of inspiration.

Years ago, I would tear pages out of magazines and save them in a big black sketchbook. I'd collect beautiful colors, interesting textures, shapes, and other little details that caught my eye. I still love that idea of collecting visual inspiration, although these days my process is a little more digital.

I now use Freeform on my iPad to gather images, colors, textures, and ideas in one place. It gives me somewhere to explore connections and see how different elements might work together.

I don't always know exactly what I'm looking for when I begin. Sometimes I have a particular direction in mind, and other times I'm simply following something that has caught my attention.

I like to give an idea a little room to develop before I start creating. That early stage of gathering and exploring helps me figure out what interests me about an idea and where I might want to take it.

Step 2: Finding a Starting Point

Once I've gathered some inspiration, I begin exploring how I want to approach the artwork.

There isn't one set formula for this part of my process. Sometimes I start with a particular color palette. Other times, it's a photograph, an interesting shape, or an idea for a character that gets things moving.

Color often plays a big role because I'm naturally drawn to it.

I love exploring how colors interact, how textures add depth, and how individual elements can come together to create something cohesive.

My background in architecture and interior design has influenced the way I approach this stage.

I'm accustomed to thinking about the relationships between colors, shapes, textures, and the overall composition rather than looking at each element in isolation.

I typically gather reference images and begin making rough sketches.

These early drawings give me a chance to explore possibilities without worrying too much about getting everything right.

At this stage, I'm experimenting. I'm figuring out what works, what doesn't, and what direction feels most exciting.

Step 3: From an Idea to an Entire Collection

My Into the Wild collection is a great example of how a simple observation can grow into something much bigger.

The inspiration actually came from the plants in my office. I found myself looking at all the different shades of green, the shapes of the leaves, and the way the foliage layered together. Before long, I started imagining a lush, tropical collection filled with wildlife.

From that initial idea, I began gathering references for tropical foliage and animals.

I explored several possibilities before settling on four featured animals: a tiger, a leopard, a macaw, and a toucan.

I actually had more animals in mind at first, but eventually narrowed the selection down to those four.

From there, I worked through sketches and began exploring how the animals and foliage could work together. I wanted each illustration to have its own personality while still feeling like part of the same world.

That meant thinking about more than the individual animals. I also considered the colors, textures, details, and overall style that would tie everything together.

As the illustrations developed, I started thinking about the collection as a whole.

How would the different pieces relate to one another?

What would make them feel connected?

How could the lush greenery and wildlife create a cohesive visual story?

Once I had the main illustrations established, I could begin exploring how they might translate into repeating patterns and coordinating designs.

That's one of my favorite parts of the process: watching an idea that began with the plants sitting in my office grow into an entire collection.

Step 4: Letting the Artwork Evolve

I usually have some idea of what I want a finished piece to communicate, but I don't necessarily have the entire image figured out before I begin.

Sometimes the direction is quite clear. Other times, the artwork evolves as I work.

I think that's part of the magic of creating. You can begin with one idea and discover something along the way that takes the work in a completely different direction.

I try to leave room for those discoveries rather than getting too attached to my original plan.

My years in commercial design have taught me how important it is to balance having a vision with being flexible enough to change it. A design might look great in my head, but once I begin working through the details, I may realize that something needs to shift.

Maybe a color isn't quite right.

Maybe the composition needs more breathing room.

Or perhaps an unexpected idea turns out to be even better than the one I started with.

I enjoy that process of figuring things out as I go. Not knowing every answer at the beginning doesn't mean I'm doing something wrong. It simply means the work is still developing.

Step 5: Working Through the Challenges

Of course, not every idea comes together easily!

Sometimes I can tell right away that something isn't working. Other times, I need to step away from a piece before I can figure out what's bothering me.

And by stepping away, I mean it might be a few weeks; or even a few months, before I return to it with fresh eyes.

I've learned that forcing something rarely makes it better. Sometimes the solution is relatively simple. I might need to adjust a color, change the composition, or remove an element that isn't contributing to the overall design.

Other times, I realize I'm trying too hard to make an idea work when I really need to approach it differently.

And occasionally, starting over is the best decision you can make.

Experience has taught me to trust my instincts. After more than 25 years in design, I've come to understand that problem-solving is just as much a part of the creative process as the actual drawing and designing.

Not every experiment will work, and not every idea will become a finished piece. That's okay. Each decision helps me understand the work a little better and figure out what it needs next.

Sometimes taking a break is the most productive thing I can do.

Step 6: Thinking Beyond the Illustration

Because of my background in interior design and surface design, I find it almost impossible not to imagine the possibilities beyond an individual illustration.

As I'm creating, I often start thinking about how an element might work as a repeating pattern, how several illustrations could come together in a collection, or how a design might translate onto fabric, wallpaper, stationery, and other products.

I'm always thinking about how artwork can live in different spaces and on different surfaces.

That doesn't mean every illustration begins with a product in mind.

Sometimes I'm simply creating something because I love the subject or the story behind it.

But I enjoy exploring how a piece of artwork can take on a life of its own.

An illustration might become the focal point of a collection, while smaller elements can be developed into coordinating patterns.

Colors and textures can carry through the different designs, helping everything feel connected without making every piece look the same.

With surface design, I consider how the patterns repeat, how the elements are arranged, and how the designs work together as a group.

It's another opportunity to experiment and discover new possibilities.

For me, this is one of the most rewarding parts of the process: seeing how a single idea can evolve into something with many different uses.

The Creative Process Is Never Quite the Same

If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that creativity doesn't always follow a straight line.

Sometimes an idea develops exactly as I imagined it. Other times, I change direction several times before I find the right solution.

I might start with a color combination, become interested in a particular shape, and end up creating something I hadn't considered at all when I began.

There are moments when everything seems to fall into place, and others when I need to step back, rethink things, or start fresh.

I think the important thing is to stay curious and give yourself permission to explore.

Gather inspiration.

Experiment with different possibilities.

Pay attention to what excites you.

And don't be afraid to change your mind when something isn't working.

You don't have to know exactly where an idea will lead before you begin. Sometimes the most interesting results come from allowing the process to unfold.

For me, that's what makes creating so rewarding. There's always something new to discover, even in an idea that starts with something as simple as the plants sitting in my office.