A pattern a day keeps the doctor away

Feeling uninspired by the mundane every day and getting tired of talking about what they'd had for lunch that day at work, Hannah and Conor set upon a watercolour adventure. What they didn't know was that sitting together at the table to create one pattern every single night would bring them closer than ever. Read the story of the creators behind our favourite Shiba print.

What is the inspiration behind designing a pattern everyday?

I was feeling generally uninspired and kept complaining to my fiancee (now husband) about it. Together, we decided to create Pattern Today as a way to have a structured creative outlet completely unrestricted by the confines of our day jobs. No matter what, we had to create one pattern a day for an entire year and post it to Instagram. It brought us closer together and made me see the world in new ways as I was constantly looking around for inspiration for that day's pattern. On the days when nothing seemed to be going right, creating and posting a pattern helped me feel like I had achieved something, no matter how small. (You can read my husband's point of view on Pattern Today here.)

Is there a favourite time of the day to sit down and illustrate?

I created the patterns mostly at night after work. The ritual of closing my computer and picking up a paintbrush helped me to unwind. Sometimes we would also create several patterns in bulk, so that we could easily post them if we were on a trip without access to our paints.

We were in love when we discovered the Shiba pattern on your IG feed. Is there a story behind this print?

My entire family is obsessed with Shibas! We got our first one 18 years ago (her name was Chai Tung Summer Time Fun) , and haven't stopped since. Right now my parents have a male shiba named Yoshi who lives in Vancouver and my sister has a little girl named Bear who lives in London. I wish I could get one here in New York, but unfortunately my apartment is much too small and I am not home enough. One day I shall have a Shiba though!

What medium do you use for your art?

I use a combination of pencil, black ink pen and watercolor to create the initial images. I then scan them into photoshop where I edit and duplicate them to create a pattern. Sometimes, i'll use one of the Instagram filters to spice up the final pattern before I post it as well.

Where do you draw inspiration from each and every day?

With Pattern Today, I learned that inspiration can come from anywhere. It could be in the Diet Coke can sitting on my desk, a bathing suit I'm currently crushing on, a piece of beautiful fruit I ate for breakfast, or my bathroom cabinet. Inspiration really is everywhere if you just look around!

From our current Hiro + Wolf collection, what are your three favourite pieces?

Definitely the Geo Green collar that I bought my sister's dog Bear when I visited your shop on Columbia Road Flower Market (and spilt orange juice all over your floor - sorry about that!) I also love the Inca bandanas, they are so chic. Finally, the Nebula Dog jumper is adorable - do you make it for humans by any chance?