MARGARET BERG: DESIGN PROCESS

I am excited to showcase some of Margaret Berg's design process. We met Margaret at Surtex, a Licensing show in NYC, and were very impressed by her colorful, modern booth. Margaret has been working with us at Postmark on several special occasion cards. From pumpkins to cupcakes, her loose, vibrant watercolor style makes for bold designs.

Margaret Berg or Magrikie Berg in her native Afrikaans, was born and raised in South Africa. In 2000 she left her beloved country to pursue her creative passion and continue her studies at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles.

Today, Margaret is fulfilling a lifelong dream of working in a creative industry as an illustrator & designer bringing her illustration collections to a range of licensed products including greeting cards, stationery, gift ware, tabletop & drink ware, fabrics & textiles, tech accessories, wall décor and more. Years of experience as an in-house Art Director at award-winning advertising agencies has given her excellent design, conceptual and organizational skills. 

Check out all of Margaret Berg's designs for Evite Postmark:

Hallloween // Birthday Kids // Love Notes // Adult Birthday Invitation

Process photos courtesy of Margaret Berg. Artwork courtesy of Evite Postmark.

BIG BRIGHT BOLD DOWNLOAD 10: MARGARET BERG FOR POSTMARK

As part of the Big Bright Bold collaborations for 2013, we have a new Desktop Calendar download for the month of October. Margaret Berg created the festive pumpkin artwork as part of her Halloween collection for Evite Postmark. 

Download: Big Bright Bold Desktop Calendar 01 and Big Bright Bold Desktop Calendar 02 by Margaret Berg + Evite Postmark.

Click to read more ...

5: FIRCA CERAMICS

Although a tough call between the Pamukkale Pools and the Firca Ceramics, the Firca Ceramics had to make it to my top five. Through our Gate 1 Tour, we got the chance to go inside the cave (!) studio of Firca Ceramics. We learned about the plate making process, from shaping the clay on a pottery wheel to painting the intricate patterns!

Learning about the process behind Firca Ceramics was super insightful. We got the chance to see one of the master artisans quickly throwing several pieces to create a pitcher. He worked so fast and so precisely, he made it look easy. When one of our tour mates sat down to attempt to finish a much simpler bowl, the clay mound quickly shriveled into a blobby pile. Gone were the clean, thin sides and perfect shapes.

After seeing the artisans shaping and molding the clay, we got the chance to see different craftsmen (and women) painting finely detail patterns on the fired vessels. With delicate, steady hands the artists painted classic and modern designs. Walking through the showroom was the icing on the ceramic cake. The  galleries  were organized into several rooms. One held  beautiful pieces from all around Turkey, which were very reasonably priced. The second room had select pieces created by the Firca craftsmen. They brought their own take on classic designs and used a finer quartz clay. The room below showed the couture pieces, exquisite vessels that were meant for collectors. I especially appreciate the attentive salesmen who led me on a tour through the show rooms and highlighted the stories behind the pieces. 

4: GRAND ARCHITECTURE

Istanbul is a city teeming with history in every corner, an amazing place where various cultures collide and mix. I was fortunate to have such a great tour group. Serdar and Gate 1 helped me to explore this magnificent city, meet new friends, and discover some of the city's hidden offerings.

The Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia (Hagia Sophia) were grander than grand. Both are great architectural beauties, important monuments from the Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. Once a church, later a mosque, and now a museum at the Turkish Republic, Hagia Sophia has always been the symbol of its time. The scale and the detail are magnificent, impossible to capture with any camera. I had heard so much about the Hagia Sophia, but seeing it in person still took my breath away. My favorite photo was actually the moment when I captured all the international tourists, staring in awe up at the dome.

I look forward to sharing more detailed insights into these World Heritage sites in the coming weeks.

3: IZNIK TiLES

Since I probably took the most photos of these gorgeous blue and white tiles, the Iznik Tiles (in the Rustem Pasha Mosque and Topkapi Palace) are my #3. I could not get enough of the elaborate designs that graced the ceilings, walls and housewares around Turkey.

According to Apartment Therapy, "Iznik ceramics and tiles are characterized by their elaborate, intricate designs and shades of blue, turquoise, red and green. Islam forbids the portrayal of living creatures, so most İznik designs are floral or geometric: The tulip represents God and the rose represents the Prophet Muhammad. The name comes from a small Turkish town that was the center of a flourishing ceramics industry during the Ottoman Empire (five hundred years ago). Hundreds of İznik artisans were employed to make quartz tiles and ceramic ware for the powerful Sultan."

Definitely expect a few posts showcasing the intricate patterns.