Phyllis Dobbs is an artist creating art for fabric designs from her eponymous design studio, based in Birmingham, Alabama. Phyllis designs quilting and sewing patterns and then licences her home and gift products. She has a background in textile product design, holds a degree in interior design and has established her own business ArtBizJam. Her career highlights include designing custom needlework designs for Ralph Lauren, authoring 3 quilting books and appearing on PBS. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Phyllis Dobbs.
Image Credit: 1) Phyllis Dobbs 2) Lori Siebert Studio 3) Phyllis Dobbs 4) Robin Pickens 5) Art Gallery Fabrics
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1) In your own words describe your unique style and creative aesthetic?
I’m passionate about color and love to laugh, so I combine the two into a whimsy style in both my graphic pattern designing and in creating floral and animal art.
2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?
I’m always making notes of designs I want to work on, so I first consult my notes and create a mental vision of the project. Then I start sketching.
3) Out of the creative people you have worked with, who is it that you respect and admire the most?
Lori Siebert. She is so versatile and has such a great sense of color and design. Her projects also tend to be very whimsical so they speak to me. She is a warm and giving person in sharing creative tips and information and, she’s just such a fun person.
4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?
I attend trade shows and gift markets and read trade magazines as well as look through catalogues. Just seeing new merchandise, trends and colors really gives my creativeness a jump start.
5) What has brought you to this point in your career? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?
Being versatile has allowed me to have a career in art and design! I’ve had to change at times due to changes in the marketplace. So my advise is be as versatile as you can in what and how you create as well as to be true to yourself with your style.
