Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon: Stamping Out a Niche with Patterns of Heritage
In this insightful blog post, Sumana Ghosh-Witherspoon shares her creative journey from graphic design to fine art and surface design, inspired by her Indian heritage. She delves into her passion for pattern-making, the influence of dual cultures on her work, and the balance she strikes between creativity and daily life.
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On Getting Started
I’ve always wanted to be an artist from an early age but when it came time to choose a career path, I ended up in Graphic Design because it seemed like a good way to be creative in a monetarily viable field. After working as a graphic designer and art director in the publishing industry in NYC for several years, I moved to NJ and re-discovered my passion for fine-art, in particular surface design.
I spent my adolescence in India and it had a great impact on me. I fell in love with the colors, textures and folk art there. India has a strong history of block-printed fabrics and I have always loved creating clothing with them (with the help of a tailor, I can't sew, unfortunately!) After moving to NJ, I picked up a simple intro to stamp-making kit and found that this simple to carve rubber material has a similar effect to woodblock prints. I really enjoyed the texture they were adding to my artwork and the meditative nature of carving the stamps. I started creating patterns on paper using paint and the stamping method.
I learned about a trade show for surface design in New York called Surtex and decided (perhaps rather hastily) to get a booth and show my work there. At Surtex I was able to connect with a fabric company that licensed some of my patterns for fabric collections. It was so exciting to see my designs turn into quilts, pillow covers, clothing and more!
On the Defining Moment
There are several moments I can think of during the course of my childhood and adolescence where I came across something that sparked my creative senses and awakened a deep sense of joy in me. One of those things are the brightly colored teal doors that pop up every so often in my family’s home town of Kolkata, India. The color is bright and rich and deep all at once, several different textures can be found on them from paint peeling, dusty bits, and the old eroded wood showing through. So much history and beauty in something so seemingly mundane really interested me. I started photographing these and other textures and still life objects around town, trying to capture the bright colors and textures.
Sumana Gosh-Witherspoon with her unique prints
On Significant Moments That Became Turning Points
While working as a graphic designer and art director at a busy magazine, I often had the task of hiring photographers and illustrators for editorial pieces. We once needed an illustration very quickly and there wasn’t enough time to hire and outside llustrator so I created the illustration myself. While creating it I realized I really enjoyed the process more than just designing the layouts alone. This was the first time I started thinking about working more with my hands and less with the computer.
Meanwhile, in India, my mother and sister started Sienna, a cafe and gift store where they were fostering local artisans to create sustainable clothing, pottery and home goods. Sienna asked me to create patterns featuring local fish. I created several different fish patterns which were turned into silk screens and wood blocks. Using natural dyes, fabrics were created to make clothing and gift products. Now I work with Sienna to create unique prints and patterns that are used for clothing, notebooks and more.
On Balancing Creativity with Real-World Demands
It definitely is a balancing act for sure! I have kind of adapted to working quickly and under time constraints. I think my deadline-oriented magazine days also prepared me for this. I also work as much as possible while the kids are not at home or late at night when everyone is asleep. My kids are slightly older now, (14 and 10) so I sometimes have them help me when I go to art fairs, the 10 year old is much more excited to help me than my teenager!
Getting busy with loads of hand carved stamps
On the Creative Process
I am most definitely inspired by my Indian heritage, I love the folk arts of India and the colors and textures definitely make their way into my work. But I am also influenced by dualities. I think having the constant push and pull of two cultures throughout my life has created a sense of duality in my work. (For a little background, I was born in the US but we moved to India when I was 10. I came back to the US for college and never left.) By dualities I mean that there are conflicting ideas present at once; modern and traditional, bright and muted, decorative and ironic, etc.
Initially, I tried the stamp-making and printing as a way to add texture to my work but then I started to enjoy the process of carving and printing so much, that this became the focus of my work. Based on my interests like folk art, I gravitated towards making patterns. Initially these were not in repeat format, I was kind of just winging it! I would create an image, make a stamp out of it and then incorporate some color either physically with watercolor or acrylic pens or digitally with Photoshop. Photoshop is actually a vital part of my process, I’ll often print something in black, photograph it and bring it into Photoshop, clean it up, change the color, add color to the background, repeat the image and make a pattern. Most recently I’ve been using the stamping method to create decorative elements in my work, mixing posca pens and collage elements. I am definitely not a purist when it comes to print-making, I love the textural effect I get and enjoying mixing media with it.
As a surface designer and fine artist, I find myself in various artistic spaces at once. In order for my creative business to grow, I have to find various avenues to earn money. This includes holding workshops, attending art fairs, taking part in fine art exhibitions, and licensing my work. This often involves re-purposing the same art work to fit different needs. I will take patterns and turn them into art prints or take certain fine art work and see if they can be turned into patterns.
On Marketing
I have predominantly been using Instagram to market my work, though I must say this is not ideal. I have an email list to whom I send out information regarding upcoming workshops and events. I am in the process of creating a more formal newsletter.
Advice for Aspiring Creatives
Most often simple shapes work best for block-printed patterns
It is beneficial to have some working knowledge of Photoshop in order to digitize your artwork and create patterns. Sarah Watts’ From Paint to Pattern is a great course for this
Just put your work out there (through social media or otherwise)
Keep creating and experimenting with mark making to find your style
Embrace the imperfections!
Portfolio Showcase
You can find my work in the following places:
https://shoemona.myportfolio.com/
https://www.instagram.com/shoemona/
https://www.pbsfabrics.com/collections/designers-1/products/sumana-ghosh-witherspoon