From Original Artwork to Meaningful Gifts

Every Lily Clare design begins in the same place: with a blank piece of paper, a pencil or paintbrush, and an idea.

I don't begin by thinking about what might look good on a mug or a tea towel. I begin with the animal.

It might be the curious expression of a hare, the wonderful character of a Highland cow, the unmistakable personality of a puffin, or a small moment between two animals that makes me stop and look again.

That moment becomes the starting point for an original piece of art.

From the original painting…

Once an original piece is finished, I sometimes see another possibility for it.

A composition might work beautifully as a fine art print. A characterful face may lend itself perfectly to a coaster or mug. A larger illustration might become a tea towel or tote bag.

But wherever the artwork eventually appears, the starting point remains my original drawing or painting.

I think that matters.

In a world filled with instantly generated and mass-produced imagery, I want Lily Clare pieces to retain the imperfections, brush marks and personality of something that was originally created by hand.

…to something you can live with

I love original art, but I also love the idea that art doesn't always have to hang on a wall.

Why shouldn't something as everyday as making a cup of tea, writing in a notebook or drying the dishes bring a little piece of artwork into your day?

That's how the Lily Clare gift collection has developed.

My original wildlife and coastal artwork now appears across carefully selected pieces including tea towels, china mugs, ceramic coasters, notebooks, greeting cards and tote bags.

They're useful objects, but hopefully they feel a little different because of the story behind the image.

The original will always be the original

Creating products from my paintings doesn't make the original artwork any less important.

Quite the opposite.

There will only ever be one original.

You can see the texture of the paper, the variation in the paint and all those tiny marks that are part of creating something by hand.

Limited edition fine art prints provide another way to own the artwork, while the gift collection allows individual characters to find their way into people's homes in a more accessible form.

Different pieces, but all beginning with the same original artwork.

A more meaningful kind of gift

Perhaps that's also why I like creating gifts.

The best presents tend to say something about the person receiving them.

A hare for someone who loves seeing them in the countryside. A puffin for someone who treasures the coast. A Highland cow for someone who adores them. Or perhaps a penguin that simply reminds you of someone you know.

It's a small connection, but it's what can turn an ordinary object into something much more personal.

And for me, that's really what The Art of Giving is all about.