Oct 9, 2018

Meet Ella, artist and illustrator, journalist and stylist

Hi, I’m Ella!

I sell illustrated prints, stationery and fabric, I also take-on illustration commissions for books, magazines and websites as well as work with craft and art material manufacturers to show off their product capabilities. I do drawing and illustration workshops too, which is so much fun.

My design philosophy is one of simplicity, harmony and elegance, using clean, uncluttered composition. I mainly work in watercolour and ink but I’m not averse to trying a new medium! My drawings are inspired by ancient and contemporary Japanese ink drawings and print-making, folk art plus classic botanical and avian illustrative prints of the 19th Century.

Japanese ink drawings

What aspect do you love most about your work?

The making part. Drawing, art and crafts in general has always taken me to my happy place. Creative time is when I am truly myself. Getting messy with paints and ink, exploring ways to make imagery, styling a shoot or crafting beautiful objects (such as a gorgeous lampshade featuring fabric I’ve printed or dyed) is a joy for me – one that is luckily now a way of life.

What is your biggest block as a creative person?

As an independent, creative business I have to be all things; copywriter, photographer, marketer, accountant etc. It can be a struggle doing it all alone, especially as you can go days, weeks etc without any feedback or encouragement. You have to be self-motivated, most of the time that’s okay but we all need a bit of love now and again.

What have you learned that’s been invaluable to your creative process?

Say yes but don’t be afraid of saying no either

Be bold, be brave and trust your instincts. In short, honour yourself and your dreams – treat both with respect. If the voice in your head is telling you something is a bad idea then it probably is. However, if you’re thinking “I’d love to do that but I can’t’’ then go ahead and make that leap! This sounds contradictory I know but if you listen to yourself you’ll know the difference between taking a risk and making a mistake.

You can find out more about Ella on her website.