Sarah Janke is a surface designer and founder of a woman-owned textile business. Inspired by the diverse experiences of growing up and living in countries such as India, Romania, and Germany, Sarah draws on the vibrant colors and patterns she encountered during her travels, from the floral neon wallpapers of Romania to the minimalist Scandinavian designs she admired in Switzerland. Her work reflects a deep appreciation for global aesthetics, making her pieces perfect for those looking to add a personal and artistic touch to their home decor. 

“This odd combination of places and cultures imbued me with a sense of compassion and understanding that goes beyond borders,” explains Sarah. “The images I make are marked by those experiences in a line that wanders or in the range of shapes I use. I often use strange forms that don’t seem to belong anywhere. For me, however, these marks are a way of capturing memories, much like a family photo album would serve to capture a memory or moment.” 

Like a lot of traditional artists, Sarah’s design process starts with pen and paper. She takes her hand drawn designs to Adobe Illustrator and turns the image into a vector file, which is where the magic happens! Sarah can then manipulate the colors within the design, rotate the image and play with scale during this step in her process.  

“The fun thing about pattern making is that it really can go on any surface,” says Sarah. “You can do wallpaper or gift-wrapping paper. Or my focus, which is textiles. I really see my textiles existing in people’s homes in the form of pillows, table runners, and napkins.” 

On Thursday, January 16 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Sarah will lead a linocut printmaking workshop called Fresh Prints, designed to walk participants through the process of carving their own unique design and printing it on fabrics.