Ink on Paper Source X Leah Duncan
Ink on Paper Source is a collaborative collection from independent artists who inspire us. Discover their creative voices, translated into stationery and wedding invitations exclusively at Paper Source.
Leah Duncan is the designer, artist, and illustrator behind her custom stationery collection for Ink on Paper Source. “Nature always plays an important role in my work. My home in the Blue Ridge Mountains inspired this collection, with the flowers and pieces of nature that are found here,” she said. She describes her art style as simple, organic, and graphic with a quirky hand.
“Art has always been one of my best friends,” Leah said. “As a child I was always playing with my toy potter’s wheel, painting, creating collages, and making clothes for my dolls. By high school I knew my path forward would be in writing or art. When I moved to Austin in 2008, I put my drawings on Etsy and everything sort of blossomed and rapidly moved forward. I ventured into surface pattern and textile design from there, did my first and only art licensing show in NYC a few years later, and the rest has been a crazy dream come true.”
She draws inspiration from small moments with family and her kids. “I love seeing the world through their eyes,” she said. She described her creative process as “very messy, with a lot of anxiety to start. I always worry I won’t get to the vision in my head in the end. It always works out though and most of the time the frenzied, somewhat innate process makes it better and more beautiful than I imagined.”
In her designs she is drawn to soft and earthy color palettes and works with “pen and paper as well as Illustrator and my Wacom tablet. Although I like that I’ve got a certain formula that makes my work unique, I’d love to grow in ways that are more analog as well as other forms of digital creation.”
When she began designing for her Ink on Paper Source collection, she shared, “I wanted to include florals as they are always a favorite, so there are several designs that feature them including a magnolia collection, wildflower collection, and a garden butterfly themed collection. I also do a lot of abstract and geometric designs, so I included a few to complete the collection with artwork that reflects my signature style.”
“I love Paper Source and seeing my work alongside so many other talented women feels like the perfect dream come true,” she said. “As an artist it means so much to partner with brands like Paper Source and know that they trust my work and vision enough to not just support it but to put their identity behind it and introduce it to a larger audience. I’m so grateful for the collaboration and it’s been such a joy working with their team!”
Reflecting on what makes her proud to be working as an artist and designer, Leah said “I think that I was brave enough to try. I occasionally hear that my work made someone smile or it helped bring a little beauty to their world. What I do for a living is mostly selfish. I do it because I love it. So it’s nice to think that it goes beyond that and occasionally helps bring a little joy and beauty to people’s lives.”
To explore Leah Duncan’s Ink on Paper Source collection click here, visit her website and follow her on social.
