Introducing Romy Elliott, an incredibly talented London-based artist whose work explores and celebrates the emotional connection between species, particularly humans, dogs and horses. Romy kindly invited us into her studio, where the walls were adorned with her beautiful paintings and drawings, alongside her co-host and furry companion, Fly.

What do you love about your studio?

It’s a 40-minute walk to my studio from home, which is one of my favourite things about it. Walking is so therapeutic and gives me thinking time. It has a wonderful way of clearing your head and calming the nervous system, and spending my walk to the studio thinking about my approach for the day and what I want to paint is really valuable. I’m lucky that my studio is within a home, so I have the benefit of a gentle buzz around me while I’m working. Being an artist can be quite a solitary existence, so I’m grateful for that.

The studio leads out onto the garden, which means I have fresh air, good light and outdoor space. It’s connected to the kitchen, so my tea obsession can be easily maintained. It’s really special to have a space just for me, where I can cover the walls in work, make a mess and immerse myself in inspiring books about painters throughout history.

What parallels do you notice between art and fashion?

I think that both art and fashion can have a tendency to follow trends. I hope that my work can stand the test of time in the same way that Brora has. Brora focuses on good-quality materials, honesty in craftsmanship, and classic shapes and silhouettes. In a similar way, I hope my work celebrates something timeless: the connection between animals and humans. I can only hope that my work is not a fleeting trend, but is rooted in enough genuine emotion and draughtsmanship that it can stand the test of time.

What do you love about Brora?

The SKYE line is particularly interesting to me because it maintains Brora’s ideals while being a little more playful and contemporary — using pattern, colour and shape, and exaggerating some designs slightly, while remembering to stay rooted in classical basics. This is something I try to do in my own work: playing with pattern, composition and colour, while ultimately remembering that drawing, anatomy and structure are essential at the very root of everything. It’s about knowing which elements need to remain and which you can push and pull to create something interesting, while still keeping it familiar.

How has your artistic style developed over time?

My style has changed a lot over the years, although my
subject matter has remained fairly consistent. I studied sculpture in Florence
for 3 years and then spent 12 years painting animal portraits, which really
helped develop my draughtsmanship skills.

These days, my work has shifted towards portraying animals
and people in a more contemporary way, focusing on connection and emotion over
direct representation. My work is looser and plays around more with
composition, pattern and palette, prioritising feeling over absolute realism.

How has your fashion style developed over time?

My fashion style has simplified over the years. Nowadays,
I’m much more interested in quality materials and investing in pieces that I’ll
keep for years to come.

The colours I wear are similar to those I use in my
paintings — autumnal and warm in tone, with the occasional use of bold colour.
Structure and shape are also important to me: finding the right designs to fit
your body type is a bit like sculpting, or creating a three-dimensional
composition.

I love layering, and I can’t wait for autumn. This summer
has been long and hot! I love a little bit of pattern here and there, which I
think Brora does extremely well.

Where can people find your work?

My Website - https://romyelliott.com/

My Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/romyelliottart/