What was your inspiration behind the Paisley print and how did you decide on this design for our window series?

We love vintage and our Paisley print was inspired by a classic paisley dress. Going into Autumn, we wanted to capture the essence of the classic paisley design while giving it a modern twist. I chose a beautiful blend of warm, Autumnal colours to bring the print to life and we knew for Autumn it would transfer seamlessly to the windows of our stores.

 

We've been lucky to partner with Natural Paint Co. on this project, how have you found the experience of working with their natural, plant-based paints?

It's been a great collaboration working with a New Zealand owned business that shares the same values as Max. The paints have been great to work with, easy to apply to the window meaning the result came together beautifully to make an eye-catching design.

 

What colours from Natural Paint Co. did you end up using for the window series and why did you choose them?

The process of choosing paint colours was so fun! I loved how tongue and cheek all their paint names were and receiving the packaged samples made it even better with Natural Paint Co's attention to detail.

There were four colours that I ended up selecting. From dark to light it started with ‘A Good Red’, ‘Harvest’, ‘Captivate’ and the highlight colour ‘She’ll Be Right’. These colours are a reflection of the Autumn palette and beautifully tie back to the Paisley garment colours, too - a bonus.

Share a little about your creative process when it comes to painting such intricate designs, how do you know where to begin?

I started with the beautiful deep shade called ‘A Good Red’ and created the design outline with loose brush strokes. I then worked up on tonal layers in shades of deep reds and burgundies to add those small and intricate details of the print. Once this was in a good place, I finished with the Natural Paint Co. shade of cream called ‘She’ll Be Right‘ as a highlight colour, adding final touches of detail to lift the colours and bring the design to life.

 

You have a much larger canvas than usual for this installation, how have you found the process of bringing your design to life on such a grand scale?

For this installation, I’ve enjoyed challenging myself to work in a new format and have found the process really satisfying! I’ve loved the collaborative process, learning about Natural Paint Co. and their colours and working with the Max team to make the window look really engaging and beautiful.

Shop our range of prints here.

To learn more about Nellie, please visit https://www.nellieryan.com/