In 2009 the rules were simple – make one drawing, in ink, for every day of October. Almost one decade later, what began as an exercise in positive drawing habits for creator and artist Jake Parker, has morphed into a global phenomenon with every-expanding ways to approach and interpret the Inktober challenge.

Prompts are provided each day, some are in a spooky spirit, such as “Spell” or “Drooling”, while others are more irreverent, like “Chicken”. Ultimately, the decision to use the prompts as inspiration is up to the Inktober participant, as is the medium, and how much color is used in the piece.

We’ve rounded up the Brintons Designers’ Inktober pieces and discussed how a daily creative challenge influences their work in the axminster world.

Designer Agnieszka Wojtal created primarily figurative work, utilizing contour lines to create movement within her subject’s luxurious hair. Similar line work can also be found in designer Sam Hoeffer’s Inktober pieces, referencing the line and hatch textures that often add dimension in carpet.

Terrien Hale, designer, did not shy away from color in her work, creating abstract landscapes that might be reworked into a gaming design.

When asked about the Inktober challenge, Kathryn 'Katie' Nehrbauer, designer, stated that drawing on a computer versus paper is always an adjustment, “At first it was a challenge since I've spent so many years drawing on a computer. Things you can easily do on a computer, like erase your work instantly, is not possible when you are drawing on paper with permanent ink. It took a little while for me to get comfortable, but after I few drawings I began to really enjoy it”.

Katie also found some similarities between working in ink and designing for carpet, “I think that with any artistic process, your mind runs on instinct. For me, I had textile design in the back of my mind the entire time. I found myself thinking, ‘Wow, this could be a great rug design’. I also noticed that I approached drawing in a similar way as designing carpet. We design carpet in layers that build upon each other to create a final look. I started each drawing with light marks to outline my basic shapes and then layered different size pens to create the detail and definition that I wanted.” Katie stuck with a black and white color palette, something that rare in carpet design, but found she became more and more comfortable with the limited scheme.

Inktober presents an opportunity for creatives to explore and expand their thinking – Brintons designers can’t wait until next year!

We are excited to launch our debut collection with Studio Elke, a multi-disciplinary design studio led by founder and Creative Director, Elke Kramer.

Known for its unique jewellery and accessories, Studio Elke is an industry leader in the fashion and design worlds. The studio is respected for its emphasis on pushing the boundaries of originality and its exploration of unique materials, experimental fabrications and new forms. Studio Elke and Brintons have collaborated to translate Elke Kramer’s vision into a suite of customisable carpet designs – and the new venture is the Australian designer’s first ever carpet collection.

“I had written down a list of dream collaborations on a blank piece of paper many years ago, and a carpet collaboration was at the top of that list. When I was approached by Brintons, and invited to partake in their first Australian collaboration, I was thrilled at the opportunity,” she says.

Composite is a collection of wall-to-wall carpet designs that references Studio Elke’s decade-long archive of jewellery collections, translating Elke Kramer’s artistic and cutting-edge print designs into large-scale interior surfaces. The Composite Collection is formed of 10 designs: Sorceress and Sorcerer, Ceremonial, Keep Watch, Tassels, Existence, Arches, Musk and Jasper Nucleus, The Thunder Below, Charcoal and Concrete Brutalist, and Power of Symmetry. Unusual geometries, graphic patterns, and architecture-inspired shapes feature in the collection. The playful influence of materials such as terrazzo, concrete, marble, and mother of pearl are the designer’s trademark and have been cleverly woven into Composite. The collection skilfully marries Studio Elke’s striking materiality and textures, with Brintons’ timeless, premium woven Axminster carpet.

Brintons’ Composite Collection featured in the Collectionist Hotel in Sydney, Elke Kramer, Studio Elke’s founder and Creative Director, comments: “With Composite we started by deconstructing and reassembling different visual elements of the Studio Elke jewellery pieces, such as the pattern on a ring band, the texture of our marbled and terrazzo resins, and the colour palettes and metallic tones that run through the 10 years of jewellery collections we had in archive. The biggest challenge was scale – delicate items that could fit in the palm of your hand were being reimagined on entirely new grand scale. Being restricted to a 2D surface was another challenge, as we had to recreate the forms and 3D depth that we celebrate in jewellery design in a 2D flat context. Brintons really understood the energy of the Studio Elke brand, so we were able to work together seamlessly in translating the textures, patterns, colours and visual themes into carpeting repeats.”