About Telva Chase, Surface Pattern Design Educator
Telva Chase is a surface pattern designer, author, and educator, and the founder of Telva's Toolbox. She teaches designers the commercial skills design school leaves out: color intelligence, art licensing, pricing, pitching, and the business foundation behind a sustainable creative income.
My Own Design Work
I design surface patterns under Truffle Art Design LLC, working primarily in watercolor. My patterns are available on Spoonflower, and my designs have appeared on products for brands including Balenciaga Menswear, Natural Roots American Milled Fabric, Hawes & Curtis, Jacquemus, Columbia Sportswear, Pier 1 Imports, Bed Bath & Beyond, and American Apparel.
Swans of Tuonela surface pattern design
Outside the Studio
I live in Vancouver, Washington, with my husband. When I'm not designing or teaching, I'm painting in oil, pastel, acrylic, encaustic, watercolor, or colored pencil, sewing, quilting, gardening, or writing. But what I love most is helping designers build careers doing work they love.
Legacy Threads surface pattern
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Design & Pitch for Licensing
The Licensing Roadmap. Every month you'll know exactly what to create for licensing and when to pitch it. Your design focus tells you what manufacturers are looking for. Your pitch calendar tells you who to contact and when.
P.O.D. Roadmap
Monthly design focus for POD platforms plus an upload schedule that keeps you consistent without burning you out. You'll know what to create, where to upload it, and when to do it for maximum visibility.
Tool Tips
I'll be taking one d
Pattern Brief
Your Industry Digest. Industry news, designer spotlight, job postings, and competitions & opportunities - everything happening in the surface pattern design world, curated and delivered to your inbox. Monthly inspiration picks and learning resources chosen specifically for SPD at every stage of their growth.
Straight Lines & Crooked Opinions
The one that might make you snort, because not everything in this industry is perfectly aligned. Telva's fourth & fifth newsletter of the month is where the rulebook takes a coffee break. If you have ever wanted to hear what a surface pattern design educator really thinks about trends, clients, creative blocks, and the general chaos of running an art business, this is your newsletter. Straight talk, crooked humor, zero apology