What makes you feel the most wild and alive?
I’ve always been lucky enough to travel a lot. I love being introduced to different cultures, new experiences and unfamiliar surroundings. I adore a new adventure and I’m an absolute sucker for a sunset or starry sky.
When did your love for art and textiles first begin?
Some of my fondest memories as a child are those with my grandmother. She is an incredible painter and sewer. She used to sew these extremely detailed artworks and from afar they would look painted, but up close they were all hand-stitched. She had a huge creative influence on me; we were always sewing, drawing, painting, even making our own Christmas decorations. I think this is where my passion for art and textiles really began.
You illustrate the female form so beautifully, and draw all shapes, sizes and ethnicities. Please tell us more about this.
It is so important to me that all women feel represented by my work. I wanted to create an Instagram account that would make people smile and cheer them up in some way; art truly does this for me, so I wanted my work to do the same for others. Social media is incredible but can sometimes leave you feeling not quite good enough because you don’t look a certain way or dress a certain way. I wanted my Instagram account to be anything but that — rather a celebration of beauty in all forms. Every single woman on this planet deserves to feel like a beautiful goddess and if my art can help that, I’m there!
We love your sense of sartorial style — it’s absolutely stunning. Are the outfits you illustrate inspired from fashion you’ve seen out and about or created within your mind?
To be honest, they are a bit of both. I live in London, so I see a lot of beautifully dressed women wearing many different styles. I always make a mental note of the fashion combinations I would have never come up with myself. I also studied a lot of catwalks in my previous job. I had to analyse the latest trends and put together a presentation for the rest of the business. Even though it was long (and sometimes tedious), I loved looking at all the incredible fashion garments. Some were truly breathtaking! There are some days, however, when I draw an outfit that doesn’t exist but I want to wear myself; it’s just floating around in my mind.
Where do you find inspiration for your patterns?
I studied textile design at university and specialised in print design, so I’ve always had a strong passion for print and pattern. I look for prints in everything; if I see someone on the tube wearing an unusual print that catches my eye, I will sneakily take a pic for inspiration. I actually think that the best patterns are found within nature. It’s all there — you just have to stop and take a closer look.
What draws you to certain colours and do you have a few favourites palettes on rotation?
I’ve always been drawn to an earthy colour palette; it reminds me of sun-bleached travels. Terracotta, ochres, dusky pinks and grass green are colours that I use over and over again, their tones all taken from nature. I love experimenting with colour and recently saw a trend for lilac on Instagram. I ended up using the shade for one of my London Series illustrations against a washed ochre and can’t get enough of it! It’s always good to branch out and try new things — that’s how you learn, get the best results and grow as an artist.
Please share with us your creative practice
I love a mood board! I make one for nearly every brief or illustration I create. It really helps me to visualise what I want to draw, although nine times out of 10 the final piece never turns out how I imagined — but that’s all part of the fun. Sometimes I sketch ideas straight onto my iPad, other times I need to feel the real pen and paper. Once I’ve sketched up a piece, I will draw it out properly and then transfer onto my computer to colour up. I’ll try lots of different colour options, usually eight to 10, and pick my favourite. Sometimes I really can’t decide so I send them over to my mum and sister to choose … I call them my design gurus!
What would be your dream collaboration?
There are so many brands I would love to work with, whether that be illustration or print design. A few that come to mind are Stine Goya, Anthropologie, Baum and & Other Stories. I’d also love to do a pottery collaboration.
What are you …
Listening to: Bittersweet by Lianne Le Havas
Reading: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Learning: How to grow a small business
Dreaming of: Life without COVID-19 so I can hug my friends and family again
If you were to reimagine the world, how would it look?
The sun would shine a lot more, people would be kinder and, most importantly, we would care for this beautiful planet that we all live on.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got lots of exciting projects in the pipeline, but my main focus is to spread my art as far and wide as possible.
For more, visit roseenglandlondon.com and @roseenglandlondon on Instagram.
