I'm Carrie Cantwell, an artist, educator, and creative brand known for playful themes, bold colors, and artwork with quirk.
For 25+ years, I've built a business around creating commercially successful artwork that connects with customers through products, licensing partnerships, education, and creative collaborations.
My artist’s mission is to create little moments that make people smile, because we can all use a bit more happiness in our lives.
Want to work with me?
About Me
Before I became an art brand, I worked for 16 years as a film and TV graphic designer, creating art for the sets of major motion pictures and award-winning TV shows, where I was nominated for an Art Director's Guild award. Today, I’m an artist, educator, and creative brand known for artwork with quirk, partnering with leading companies to bring joyful illustrations and patterns to products enjoyed around the world. I have exhibited at the Denver Art Museum; AIGA National Design Center; Walker Art Center; and the Museum of Design Atlanta. I’m also a SkillShare Top Teacher, and my podcast—Two Cranky Creatives—hit the top 10 in its category on Apple Podcasts for 9 weeks in a row. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master’s Certification in Project Management.
By The Numbers
25+ years in business
25,000+ community members
#1 podcast in its category
30+ brand partnerships
50,000+ artists reached annually
3 successful Etsy shops
What Partners Are Saying
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“Carrie had a wide selection of art available for licensing, and she was very responsive and friendly. Because we needed exclusivity, and several pieces of hers had already been licensed, she created similar custom illustrations and got them to us quickly in the formats needed. We're looking forward to licensing more of her art in the future.”
— Stephanie Klatt, Senior Product Designer, Kate & Laurel
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“Carrie's colorful and quirky designs have quickly won our customers' hearts, and have become a popular part of our collection. Carrie had a large volume of art we were able to pull from for licensing, and she got it to us very quickly in the formats we needed. Our relationship with Carrie is a great long-term licensing partnership that's been a real pleasure.”
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“Carrie is a talented surface pattern designer and illustrator who consistently delivers proven, trend-forward patterns that translate beautifully into wallpaper. Her designs began selling immediately, directly contributing to our sales from the start. She is outgoing, enthusiastic, flexible, and always quick to respond, making collaboration seamless and enjoyable. We truly value her creativity and positive energy as a licensing partner.”
— Caroline Bohne, Owner: Funky Paper Co.
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“We really enjoy everything about art licensing with Carrie. Her catalog is full of licensable art, and she consistently creates and shares fresh, trending work regularly. Her illustrations and patterns have been a great asset to our company, and we look forward to continuing our profitable, rewarding long-term relationship.”
Natalie Lavacca, Artist Relations Associate: Deny Designs
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“Spoonflower needed a trade show design and two custom pattern designs for our Quiltcon booth, and we are so pleased we hired Carrie to design them all! The design was beautifully executed, and it was an attention-grabber at the conference. Her custom patterns coordinated perfectly with the theme, looked great on name tags, and were a big hit. She was kind, easy to collaborate with, and efficient. Everything went smoothly and turned out beautifully.”
— Angela Bakas, Sourcing & Technical Design: Spoonflower
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“Carrie regularly uploads market-ready surface pattern designs and always supplies the files in the formats we need. She often provides bonus files, such as additional colorways, giving our customers a variety of options with minimal effort on their part. Carrie is a competent designer with the ability to create professional, on-trend designs that appeal to our customer base.”
— Neil Elliott, Co-founder & Director: Patternbank
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