Nature’s Inspiration

Fantastical hybrid animals, griffins, macaws, hummingbirds, and a plethora of stingrays make up just some of the characters in Emma J Shipley’s collection, Mythica. Look closer and even more details emerge. Far-flung, utopian backdrops come into view. Vines twine through Bosque Dreams, where bats and sloths hang, and ocelots prowl below. Stingrays and shoals of fish careen by wafting coral and anemones. Turrets and castles shrouded in rain and storms serve as the backdrop to a Scottish Loch Ness, while ancient Greek Doric columns frame two leaping horses, the Pegasi.

All these intricately imagined worlds by Emma J Shipley reflect her distinctive and unmistakable vision, drawn from a number of eclectic inspirations.

One thread of her influences is her travels to Costa Rica, where she encountered the staggering biodiversity, following her visits to the Osa Peninsula and the cloud rainforests. If you spot the scarlet macaw flying overhead in Bosque Dreams wallpaper or fabric, it is because these beautiful birds are particularly prevalent in the Osa Peninsula, as are wildcats, sloths, and the other 250,000 species who call it home.

The quetzal bird, often considered one of the world’s most beautiful, symbolises the Costa Rican cloud rainforest and lends its name to the design. You’ll also notice it takes centre stage of this wallpaper and fabric.

Shipley’s inspirations extend beyond tropical landscapes. She also draws inspiration from myths, stories, and artworks created by artists and writers who viewed the landscape’s plants and animals in a unique way, much like Shipley herself.