Long Time No See

It’s been a long time since I last wrote here, and there’s quite a lot to catch you up on!

Over the past couple of years, life took me in directions I never expected. I had to step away from my art for a while for family reasons, spending a lot of time looking after my mum. Then my own health began to deteriorate, and eventually I found myself facing another huge chapter in my life when I had to have a hysterectomy after being diagnosed with cancer.

Thankfully, I’m incredibly happy to say that I am now cancer free. ❤️

It has been a difficult and sometimes overwhelming period of my life, and I think it’s fair to say that I became a bit of a hermit along the way! When life gets difficult, it can be very easy to retreat from the world and lose touch with the things and people that once brought you joy.

But now I’m ready to start finding my way back.

Back to creating

One of the things I’ve missed most is making art simply because I love creating.

I’ve always had a particular love for patterns. There’s something about taking an image, shape or little detail and transforming it into something completely new. Recently I’ve been spending time learning more about repeating patterns, experimenting with how designs can fit together and creating patterns that can continue endlessly without obvious joins.

It’s a skill I’m still learning, but I’m really enjoying the process. There’s something quite addictive about seeing a design transform into a pattern and then imagining all the things it could become.

And that brings me to some very exciting news…

Introducing Red Tailed Clothing

I’m incredibly excited to announce that I am launching a new clothing brand called Red Tailed Clothing.

The name has a very special meaning to me. It is a tribute to my beloved African Grey parrot, Bailey, whose beautiful red tail has been a huge part of my life and inspiration.

Red Tailed Clothing is my way of bringing my artwork into the world in a different way. I want to create wearable art using my illustrations, pattern designs and photography, turning the things I love creating into clothing that people can actually wear.

I’m still very much at the beginning of this journey, and there is a lot to learn about clothing, pattern design, printing and running a creative business. But that’s part of the excitement.

I’m not trying to rush it. I want to learn, experiment and create something that feels genuinely like me.

Finding my way back to people

There’s another thing I’m working on too.

After spending so much time at home and becoming something of a hermit, I’ve realised that I need to start connecting with people again. That means pushing myself outside my comfort zone, sharing my work, talking to other creatives and allowing people to see what I’m making.

It’s scary sometimes. After everything that’s happened, hiding away can feel much easier.

But I don’t want to hide anymore.

So this is me saying hello again.

I’m getting back to my art. I’m learning new things. I’m experimenting with patterns. I’m building a clothing brand. And, slowly but surely, I’m reconnecting with the world around me.

There’s a long way to go, but for the first time in a while, I’m really excited about what comes next.

Welcome back to my little corner of the creative world.

And welcome to Red Tailed Clothing. 🪶❤️

Emma