Artist Interviews #5 - Emily Charlotte Powell

The inspiration behind these interviews is that I like nothing more than hearing about how other artists work, what’s influenced them, their favourite tools, and what their workspaces are like. Each Artist is given a list of questions and they get to choose how many and which questions to answer.

In this interview, I’m delighted to welcome Emily AND we met up in real life during my travels!

Hot off the boat from Santander, which gets in late, usually 11pm by the time we’re through customs and onto the motorway, we usually drive a short way up to Winchester and stay there a few days to give our home a spring clean, assess for any repairs (Mr. Dean’s domain!) and relax before heading to our next destination.

Emily lives a short drive away and invited me over for a visit. Did I take lots of photos? No, clearly out of practice, I did snap a couple and it's no surprise they’re mainly of the dogs!

Emily has been kind enough to share a video of her actual workspace, (see below) which is so peaceful and comfy, it would be easy to lock yourself in and never leave!

Lets get into to the questions;

Oh, and before I forget, I got to hold and read through the childrens book, which is lovely and you can get your copy here

1. Can you give us a brief introduction to yourself and your work, what your primary art form is and how long have you been creating?

I’m Emily, an accountant by day and illustrator by night, attempting to balance my love for creativity with my family and professional career.

I have always been creative and have been drawing all my life. Growing up in the English countryside, I was inspired by a childhood filled with arts, crafts, nature and stories.

After I left school, I moved to Twyford near Winchester, working my way through various administrative jobs before landing (quite unexpectedly) in the finance department at B&Q. Early on there, I realised that I had a flare for accounting, but while I pursued a successful career in finance, I always nurtured my passion for drawing and painting and crafting, experimenting with watercolour, coloured pencils and graphite.

Drawing realistic and detailed animal pictures became a bit of a fascination for me, particularly dogs, which is something that I think we have in common, Jo! During my time in a finance role with the NHS, I found my way into business illustration, and the momentum from this led me to take the leap and leave my finance career for 18 months and focus entirely on illustration.

Along the way, I formed a wonderful friendship and collaboration with the author, Lydia Saward. Last year, we launched our indie publishing company, Tree Keeper Books, and published our first picture book, Is Aunt Moll From the North Pole? Written by Lydia and illustrated by me!

‘Is Aunt Moll from the North Pole’ - Children’s Book

I returned to my finance career in early 2023 after a big commission fell through and the illustration work wasn’t sustaining the income I needed. I am now working 4 days a week as a finance manager (back at B&Q!), and doing as much drawing and writing as I can squeeze in, between all the other life and family stuff.

2. How would you describe your artistic style and the themes that most inspire your work?

My artistic style spans three main areas: storybook illustrations, detailed graphite drawings, and decorative embellishments/motifs.

Each reflects my love for storytelling, nature, enchantment and the wonder of every day moments.

Storybook illustrations: In my picture book illustrations, I aim to create inviting, magical scenes of wonder and enchantment where you can almost feel the story being told through the images.

I enjoy creating expressive characters that bring a sense of childlike innocence to the stories they inhabit. I’m especially drawn to outdoor night-time scenes at the moment; velvety blues, verdant greens, glowing fireflies, and the soft light of the moon and stars. I love adding small details like embroidered clothing, dappled moonlight on leaves, or glowing mushrooms and fireflies to bring a touch of magic to each piece.

These elements help set the mood and make every scene feel alive, like a glimpse into a story just waiting to unfold. Nature plays a big role in my work, with stylised foliage, twinkling lights, and rich colour palettes creating a sense of atmosphere. I want to draw viewers into imaginary worlds filled with enchantment.

Graphite Drawings: My graphite drawings focus on capturing the intricate details of natural forms. Whether it’s the patterned skin of an octopus, the delicate structure of a bird’s feathers, or the velvety softness of a dog’s muzzle, using just gradients and lines to create depth and realism.

This style requires lots of patience and close observation, making it a meditative part of my practice. It encourages me to slow down and notice the subtle textures and shapes that must be carefully recreated to bring the drawing to life.

Decorative illustration elements: I love creating illustration elements, dividers and motifs to incorporate into my own Substack and on our website, and that I share in my Ever Growing Gallery.

These designs are decorative and lighthearted, like a floral frame of flowers and butterflies or a cheerful sticker celebrating small wins.

I blend bold shapes with intricate details, creating versatile illustrations perfect for embellishing designs in Canva, scrapbooking, or using on websites and in Substack.

I enjoy turning simple moments into something joyful and shareable, making art that’s both creative and practical.

Paid subscribers can access high-resolution digital downloads of these illustration elements, art printables, phone wallpapers, and much more in my Ever Growing Gallery on Substack.

Each of these styles reflects a different aspect of my creativity, but they’re all connected by my love for storytelling, nature, and finding beauty in the details.

3. Can you describe your physical workspace or studio environment and does it influence your creative process?

I am lucky to have a dedicated studio office space in our home that is all mine! It is my sanctuary, and while the dogs are very welcome to stay in here with me as long as they' behave, I get very huffy with anyone else interrupting my quiet, creative solitude :)! I used to work in the conservatory. The light in there was amazing for drawing, but the extremes of temperature (even after we had a roof put on it during covid to make it more liveable) weren't ideal. I moved my studio into the garage conversion that the previous owners built, and have filled it with creative clutter, my own artwork, and that of my family and other creatives. I have created a little video tour for you!

4. What’s next for you, are there any new projects on the horizon?

Lydia and I are now working on our next book, The Tale of Tree Keeper Cottage, and have lots more planned to bring our magical world to life and create a home for all our stories and characters.

Alongside working on our next book, my most exciting creative adventure is here on Substack. I love this community of writers and creatives, it feels like a corner of the internet where none of the normal internet rules apply, and where we can build beautiful friendships and communities.

I am always overflowing with ideas and inspiration and I would love to grow my Substack community of creative explorers further, and perhaps, eventually, reduce my working days more.

I’ve just launched The Magic Beans Guide, which is an enchanted guidebook to help creatives navigate the world of finances, turning numbers into something less overwhelming and more manageable.

For the past eight months, The Festival of Creativity has been waiting patiently for its moment. It’ll be a directory (with a twist...) filled with posts and resources that explore and celebrate creativity in all its forms.

And then there’s The Creative Bucket List Club that I’m ridiculously excited about! I am hoping to launch this as a paid community in the spring, where we can explore new creative activities together, share our experiences, and inspire each other. It’s also my perfect excuse to revisit creative pursuits I love, try completely new ones, and write about the whole adventure along the way.

I have secret dreams that I might one day have enough subscribers on While I Was Drawing to return to creating full-time, or at least reduce my hours enough to write the story that has been quietly growing in my mind for the last year.

Thank you so much for taking part

Emily Charlotte Powell

I’m already looking forward to our next catch-up

Jo x

PS If you’d like to join a small friendly group of fellow artists to discuss all the things about running your own creative business, then upgrade to gain access to my Open Studio sessions