About

Hi, I’m Halee (my friends call me Hales).

I’m an illustrator and surface pattern designer. I draw plants and flowers, vintage-inspired things, and sometimes dip my toe into the silly and weird. Most of my work is mixed media — primarily watercolor and gouache, with digital tools occasionally finding their way in.

I’m drawn to things that feel warm and familiar: antique flour sacks, teacups, rubber duckies, and gardens. But, I also like interrupting that coziness with humor sometimes, so the work usually lands somewhere between sweet and slightly ridiculous.

I studied illustration at MICA, but surface pattern design is what really made everything click. I enjoy illustration, but I love it when drawings get to live on real objects — fabric, packaging, and everyday things people actually use. I want my work to be part of someone’s environment, not just a picture on the wall.

I’m happiest when I get to experiment and collaborate. I try not to get precious about ideas; an unexpected turn can be just the thing that makes the piece work.

If you like playful, nostalgic, slightly weird work, we’ll probably get along.