In this Q&A, we talk with Sophie Harpley about her inspiring journey back to art after a winding path, how working at the V&A Museum ignited her creative passion, and the courageous leap to pursue pattern design professionally.
Sophie shares insights into her distinctive painterly style, the joys of working by hand with gouache, and her belief in the importance of imperfections. We also discuss overcoming creative blocks, the influence of iconic female artists, and the empowering moments that have defined her career.
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your artistic journey?
It has been a winding path! I’d been glued to a sketchbook since childhood but found it difficult to squeeze my creativity into the school-curriculum-shaped-mould and didn’t do very well there. Feeling like I’d ‘failed’ in something I loved at only 18 sent me off on an entirely different path for a while. I barely picked up a paintbrush for several years. But when it came to finding a job I was soon working in the most creative places I could find; an illustrated children’s book publisher, a fabric and homewares shop and a role at the V&A Museum.
Eventually the urge to be a hands-on creative again led me back to university. I think I had something to prove to myself and the education system. I gained an MA in a subject called ‘graphic arts’. I was on cloud nine amongst the facilities at UWE. I tried every kind of printmaking and I was specialising in pattern by the end of it. But I would even stay extra hours to try all the other subjects, like pottery and various textile classes, I couldn’t get enough.
The great thing about coming back to study a bit later is you really appreciate the opportunity and work very hard. I knew a lot more about who I was by that point and how much I believed that art mattered. It was almost therapeutic to be immersed in it all again. I think this experience put a little ‘fire in my belly’ too. It bothers me a lot just how many 18-year-olds are told that art is not a serious subject; or that there are no careers in it; or that you have to do it in a certain way to be ‘good enough’.
Henri Matisse famously said: ‘creativity takes courage’ and I feel it’s very true.
After finishing my MA, I went on to design for interiors brands. But I always kept up my illustration practice in my spare time. Early on I met a Buyer for John Lewis with some patterned kitchen linens I’d made. She said ‘you have about 5 SKUS and you need at least 30 to be stocked here.’ I didn’t have the capital to create all those products so she suggested I keep going with illustration commissions and creating stationery – so I did!
I also went freelance to allow more time for my art practice. When some floral cushions I made were picked up for a Chelsea Flower show styled stand and the cover of Country Living, I felt a little bit braver about growing a fabric range. But it wasn’t until the pandemic coincided with maternity leave, that I really stopped to reflect on what I was doing and decided to take my personal work more seriously.
Once my little one was at nursery I began making wallpapers and then fabrics by the metre. It’s going well and after dreaming for such a long time of painting patterns for a living, it feels pretty ‘pinch me’ to be doing it.
2. What inspired you to pursue your craft? Was there a defining moment or influence that sparked your passion?
Working at the V&A Museum. That was the period when I was really starting to think (to quote Mary Oliver) ‘what am I going to do with my one wild and precious life?’ I found it strangely frustrating to be working in such an awesomely inspiring place, but not a very creative role.
So I went to art school and the rest is history! But I do quite vividly remember a particular moment, looking around the V&A on my lunch break, and literally feeling giddy with the urge to make something. I really wanted to draw and paint and create things hands-on but I’d lost confidence. That’s when the idea to study again began to form.
Your craft
3. How would you describe your work in three words?
Relaxed, joyful, painterly.
4. What materials or techniques do you use, and why are they important to your process?
I paint every pattern using gouache and watercolour paper. I have quite an impulsive painting style and I try to let that lose quality come through, even when I have planned a design. I love imperfections and work that shows the human touch. It’s very intentional and important to me that you can tell my wallpapers and fabrics were designed by hand.
5. Can you tell us about a favourite piece you’ve created and the story behind it?
At university I made a huge printed tapestry, the whole thing was illustrated. Sometimes I long to do quite an ambitious one-off piece like that again. It was a bespoke piece inspired by a Georgian house which had so many decorative details.
Creative process
6. What does a typical day in your studio or workshop look like?
No typical day! When you wear all the hats, you just have to keep rotating between them; post-lady, accounts department, web designer, social media assistant – it’s not all glamourous. But of course my favourite days are the ones immersed in painting and design.
Once I’m in the zone, I’m there for months at a time and other things fall to the wayside, but it’s bliss. I lose track of time and just experiment with colours and motifs all day. It’s a very exciting process to be painting on paper and thinking ‘this could end up on someone’s wall’.
7. Do you have any unique rituals or habits that help you stay creative?
In love mood-boarding and it really helps me begin a project fresh. Just gathering all my recent inspirations and having a good look through; books, clippings, postcards etc.
8. How do you handle creative blocks? Do you have any strategies or tips for overcoming them?
Do something different. Staring at the page will never help. Exercise and a change of scene will. Also be kind to yourself, have a cuppa and a biscuit, call a friend. Then ask yourself some questions; who is this for, what is this about, why isn’t it working etc. Get some sleep and try again.
Challenges and successes
9. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a maker, and how did you overcome it?
It’s always challenging. The moments of imposter syndrome never go away but you get better at taming the beast. And the highs make it all worth it.
10. What’s been your proudest moment or achievement so far?
Winning a Homes & Gardens Award for my first wallpapers in 2023.
11. What’s your favourite quote you’ve ever heard about your work? Who said it, or what was the name of the publication?
"Sophie's painterly creations are always uplifting and bring a smile."
- BRITISH VOGUE
Inspiration
12. Where do you draw inspiration from for your work? What sparks your imagination and creativity?
I see pattern inspiration everywhere from nature to antique textiles and modernist art. My favourite days are spent either in a gallery, antique market or walking in nature. As a result my work is a melting pot of ideas, bringing a fresh twist to tradition.
13. Do you have a favourite artist, maker, movement, or tradition that has influenced your craft?
I love the post-impressionist painters like Rauol Duffy, Matisse and Vanessa Bell. I love their free and spontaneous approach. I’m always drawn to the histories of women artists especially and of course those who specialised in pattern like Sonia Delaunay or Paule Marrot. But also just the fighting spirit required of people like Barbara Hepworth or Frida Kahlo to make it as female artists in the era they lived.
14. How does colour influence your practice; is it an important part of your process? Do you have a particular palette or favourites? Any go-to sources for colour inspiration?
I do have quite a distinct colour palette and it’s been described by others variously as; muted, tertiary, jewel-tone… I guess it’s anything but primaries for me! I like to mix and make interesting colours and every colour is a bit unusual – off-white, reddish-pink, muddy-yellow. I’m a colour tinkerer.
Perspectives and goals
15. What role does your environment play in shaping your creativity?
I’m a visual sponge, so everything I see influences me. Yes I think surroundings are vital, I think it changes everything actually. I wish I had a bit more space! I always feel like the more space I have I will just fill it – so my work will get bigger and more ambitious.
By default of living in London, space is at a premium. I love my studio and it’s very homely and full of things that inspire me, but you can never give an artist too much of two things; light and space. Oh and peace and time! So that’s four… There was never a truer statement than Virginia Woolfe and ‘a room of one’s own’.
16. What do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
Joy, peace, pleasure, a little nostalgia and positivity.
17. What are you currently working on, and what excites you most about it?
Aside from the thrill of launching makers made with my wonderful co-founding artists?! I’ve also just launched a new little collection of printed papers and linen called Evolve. I’m taking it to show at London Design Week (March 2025) which is exciting if a little nerve wracking. But I hope to do myself proud!
Advice and reflection
18. What advice would you give to someone starting out as a maker?
If you are passionate about something, keep going, keep learning and don’t let anything stop you. There are no wrong moves only experiments.
19. If you could go back to the start of your career, what advice would you give your younger self?
Your mum is right, you should go to Falmouth School of Art.
Closing thoughts
20. If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
It would be fun to step back in time into Charleston Farm House and help Vanessa and Duncan paint the lot from top to bottom.
21. Where can people find your work, and how can they support you?
I would love to work on more bespoke projects and perhaps collaborate with a paint company.
Sophie Harpley’s designs blend relaxed charm with vibrant colours, bringing joy and a sense of timeless nostalgia to everyday spaces. Her painterly approach and distinctive palettes offer fresh takes on tradition, creating textiles and wallpapers that uplift and inspire.
Explore Sophie’s latest collections and follow her creative journey:
Support Sophie by exploring her bespoke collections, and stay tuned as she takes her work to exciting new platforms like London Design Week.
