Life & Work with Charla Pettingill of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charla Pettingill.

Charla, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi, I’m Charla Pettingill, a freelance illustrator and surface designer based in Savannah, Georgia. Originally from East Tennessee, I left home to study at SCAD in 2004. While I was a student, I did a few miscellaneous book, editorial, and portrait illustration jobs. After completing my BFA and MA in Illustration, my now-husband and I moved to Atlanta, where I got my first full-time, in-house illustration job working at a small kids and family marketing company. I worked there for nearly 4 years, learning a great deal about printing, production, and licensing.

From there, I went to work in-house as a senior designer at a greetings/paper goods company, where I spent three and a half years (with the final year being an assistant design manager role). I then pivoted into the flooring industry, where I designed vinyl flooring and then worked as a design director at Shaw Industries.

I returned to Savannah in 2022, and since then, I have been teaching in SCAD’s Illustration department as a full-time faculty member while doing a bit of freelance and licensing work on the side. I’ve worked with clients such as L’Occitane, Cloud9 Fabrics, Beaufort Bonnet Company, and many others. My favorite projects are the ones that involve storytelling through illustration and patterns.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working my way through college (balancing a 30-40 hour per week job while being a full-time student) was a challenge, but it definitely prepared me for working in the industry and being adaptable and resilient. I also graduated into the Great Recession, which was another challenge to navigate professionally and financially. I believe these experiences ultimately made me a better professional and artist. I’ve had an exciting career and I’m proud of where I am today (and I’m so happy to work in such a creatively-energized environment here in Savannah!).

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create elegant yet playful narrative illustrations and repeat patterns for products such as sewing fabric, gift wrap, children’s apparel, and more. I believe that everyone should be able to enjoy art on a daily basis, wearing it, sleeping under it, eating off of it, etc (as one of my creative heroes, Vera Neumann, once said).

I work digitally for the most part, but I enjoy creating textures and pattern motifs traditionally using materials such as gouache, ink, and watercolor. I also love working in my sketchbooks and painting. The sketchbooks serve as starting point for many of my concepts. Creating one-of-a-kind paintings is satisfying, too. In response to AI, I find myself leaning more and more toward analog processes.

I think what sets my work apart from other designers in the industry is the fact that each of my illustrations and patterns is inspired by a personal experience, from a moment of beauty observed in a mundane, everyday situation, to a nostalgic memory from childhood.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
You’ll find your creative voice when you’re being your most authentic self. When you create spontaneous, playful work for yourself, that’s when your style will begin to emerge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.charladraws.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charladraws/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlapettingill/
• Other: https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/charladraws