Carolyn Gavin

Carolyn Gavin is a South African–born illustrator, painter, designer and teacher known for her bold, colourful, and nature-inspired artwork. A flower child of the 60’s, Carolyn grew up in South Africa, left to travel and relocated to Toronto, Canada, where she currently lives with her family. 

She works as an illustrator, surface designer, and fine artist, and her style is instantly recognisable for its bright colours, playful shapes, and organic patterns. Carolyn’s life is centred around the arts. From painting exploration in mediums from watercolour to gouache and acrylic, in a variety of styles and subjects. Flowers, travel, animals and the natural world inspire and excite in a world of beautiful colour, pattern and playfulness. Carolyn makes sure her life is filled with beauty and creativity. Her work often features birds, flowers, and natural elements, using strong colour palettes such as vivid pinks, blues, yellows, and greens. Her art feels joyful, decorative, and expressive, often blending fine art with design. Her designs appear on a wide range of products, including fabric and textiles, stationery and greeting cards, home décor items, and books and prints. She has also collaborated with brands like Anthropologie, bringing her artwork into everyday products. Carolyn is also principal designer for Ecojot. A family run eco-friendly paper business. She is her own free agent and licenses her work for fabric, clothing, house-wares, packaging, bedding and books.

Carolyn Gavin has also illustrated children’s books, where her colourful and imaginative style is especially popular. She is best known for turning nature and everyday life into vibrant, uplifting visual art, making her a well-recognised figure in contemporary illustration and surface design.