Margo sits down with pattern designer, block-print artist, and the owner of BEENANZA, Bethany Andrews-Nichols. After graduating with her BFA in 2006, Bethany worked several graphic design jobs rounding out her corporate career as the Associate Creative Director for an in-house agency that supported several breweries in the U.S. In 2017, she took a trip to Jaipur, India to learn about the ancient art of block-printing. She was immediately HOOKED & that is where the BEENANZA story begins. 

 

Margo and Bethany discuss:

Listening to intuition and knowing when it’s time to step away from projects/jobs/etc How Bethany got into block printing Why should should actually mean no (i.e. I ‘should’ do x, y, z) Rediscovering oneself through creative practices Putting yourself and  your art or interests out there Not being precious with your work The importance of community And so much more!

 

She often block-prints her highly graphic repeats to embrace the uniqueness inherent in the process. Whether the design stays a graphic repeat or becomes a block-printed mural, a hand-printed pattern on leather, fabric or paper, or a washi-tape repeat in her sketchbook, she believes the addition of pattern anywhere & everywhere helps add an element of humanity.

 

Connect with Bethany:

https://www.beenanzadesign.com/

https://www.instagram.com/beenanza.design/