Meet The Maker - Gillian Arnold

Meet The Maker: Gillian Arnold!

In our most recent installment of 'Meet The Maker', we are taking a look into the world of Gillian Arnold! Gillian Arnold is a botanical artist and surface pattern designer who creates vibrant designs with pressed cuttings of British flowers in her Darlington studio workshop. Gillian collects the flowers herself which she then uses to make stunning and dramatic colourful compositions which are then transferred onto a variety of products, including lampshades. Having established her brand in 2011, Gillian has now become quite the household name within the world of botanical design.

Gillian is inspired by all things nature, even finding inspiration from the pockets of nature found in unexpected places such as our busy cities. In particular her muse comes in the form of beautiful and resilient British wild flowers which she ventures out to pick herself. She even finds ideas coming to life collecting often overlooked weeds and plants found at the side of the road. Her search for botanical specimens stretches from plants growing from cracks in alleyway walls, roadsides, abandonned gardens, industrail wastelands to the opulent grounds of stately homes.

Gillian is always trying to help further develop art and culture in Bishop Auckland in the North East of England where her studio and workshop is located. Not only do they hand make all of their products from this one location, but she is also able to offer training, work experience, internships and employment to the area in a creative industry.

Gillian's creations

We have a stunning collection of vibrant lampshades from Gillian which can't help but immediately catch the eye. The botanical designs are printed on 100% polyester duchess silk which is then backed on PVC. Designs like her Aqua Magma pieces are always stand out: Creating a serene underwater landscape of luminous colours and intriguing shapes, Aqua Magna, meaning big water, draws heavy inspiration from the natural flowing shapes and colours of the sea. Meanwhile, Summer Tropics infuses mixes of luscious yellows, strawberry reds and electric blues, whilst contrasting with deep earthy greens. You can almost feel the sand in between your toes as you gaze into the tropical paradise of this lampshade.

As well as the gorgeous lampshades, Gillian has also created the most amazing floor lamps which come in two sizes - making them perfect for filling in any size space you may be looking to fill. The medium floor lamps are also the ideal size for a size table, truly becoming the star of the room.