Meet The Maker: Artist, Cassie Byrnes

Julia Canella | Inspiration | 25 October 2019

We catch-up with artist Cassie Byrnes, a super talent in her own right who's designed for Nike, Anthropologie and Häagen-Dazs.

Cassie's worked in our design studio over the years, where her incredible work has again emerged in our most current collection, with a run of her much-adored Rambler design.

Cassie, how did being awarded the 2014 RMIT/Linen House Industry Partnership feel, and what have you taken from it?

I remember getting that phone call like it was yesterday! Maybe because it was the first time I'd won anything in my life, plus hearing that my work was going to be out in production as a cushion.

When you're a student and questioning your work constantly, these confidence-boosters are important. I got off the phone and called mum straight away.

My family bought many cushions that year, and everyone still has them in their homes. Funny how no one gets that excited anymore ...

Your Linen House designs, Rambler, Squiggly Gum and Lakebed, embrace a truly Australian style. How did they come about?

I'm a lover of Australiana – it's a major theme in my work and I was lucky to be given the freedom to explore that aesthetic in my role at Linen House.

Squiggly Gum (pictured above) was inspired by leaves from the Eucaplytus tree. The great thing about gum leaves is you don't have much imagining as they naturally form beautiful patterns that cascade from their branches. Then you have flowers and gum nuts popping up throughout – just perfection. It's iconography that Australians are familiar with and love.

I referenced my Rambler design (pictured below) for the style of flowers, which is something I do a lot of in my work (little secret things that have sentimental value).

What was the thought process behind these designs?

Nature is a passion and a huge part of my work. I'm lucky to hail from a little corner of the world with a diverse and even weird selection of it!

I snap lots of photos on walks and buy pink flowers so these always end up in my final designs.

Squiggly Gum was drawn-up from local gum leaves found in the area. After drawing them in fine liner, I scanned them to get a crisp digital finish ready for printing. The colours emerged from a master palette decided on at the beginning of our SS17/18 collection.

I love how gum leaves have slightly different shades of green and grey from where the light hits them as they twist and turn. When you look at a bunch, they naturally have light and dark shades, hence why I chose contrasting hues for the leaves.

Putting this design into repeat was a challenge. I wanted it to be as organic as possible, within its limitations. Easily one of my best repeats ever!

How do you like to design? And how do you work around creative blocks?

I'd describe it as well-planned spontaneity. I always start with a considered palette and story allowing me to design freely and play with mark making, texture and composition.

The creative process is inspired through capturing the essence and spirit of the theme, rather than a literal interpretation.

This allows the natural progression and organic development of my ideas and workflow, which are constantly influenced by new discoveries.

Creative blocks happen all the time! Not sure if it's a creative block or if I'm just tired, but I burnout creatively when I do too much work. The solution is always a holiday or weekend away from the studio.

What drew you to textile design?

Knowing literally nothing about textiles and never having visited Victoria, I did what any sane twenty-something would do – I left my job as an interior designer in Brisbane and enrolled in a bachelor of arts in textile design at RMIT.

Any designs you particularly love from your career thus far?

I created the Protea print for my graduate collection and I still love it today.

I remember playing around with paints at some ridiculous hour at night, and I picked up the painting way too early and it started running!

I was so upset, until I realised that if I did this with all motifs, it can become part of a pattern. I love happy accidents like this.

It was also the first painting where I started leaving white spaces around everything due to my impatience with waiting for space to dry, creating negative space. This has now become my favourite way to design a pattern.

Three things you simply can't live without?

Coffee. Chats. And bed.

Shop this story

Cassie's leafy creations are not currently available online. To shop for your next Australiana aesthetic, see our collection of much-adored botanicals here.

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