About

Welcome to The Daydream Emporium, come on in, pull up a moss covered boulder, sit down, and make yourself at home.

Ever since I was a small child, I have enjoyed spending my time roaming through nature, marvelling at everything from the tiniest ant to the largest tree, but I always wondered if there was more to the world than we're seeing. What creatures might there be lurking in the shadows, hiding under that leaf or camouflaged on that twig?
Fantasy movies and like-minded artists fuelled this curiosity, and my passion for all things fantastic grew and grew.

With my love for fantasy movies, I studied a BA in technical arts and special effects, hoping to move into the world of concept design and creature creation. However, this turned out to be much more about process than creativity, and I lost some of my enthusiasm for the course.

  Looking for inspiration amongst other artists, I wondered if illustrated books might be a better way forward, so I continued my education into an MA in children's book illustration. 

  Seeing the incredible other students around me, I worked hard to fit in, to try to make artwork I thought other people would like, rather than what I was truly passionate about. I took on projects that I didn't love, and therefore didn't do my best work.

  I became disillusioned with art, telling myself that I loved it, but not actually loving it. Once the projects I had committed to were over, I gave up. I barely did any drawing for a couple of years, until covid and lockdown hit.

  By this time, we had a two year old son, and while my partner was working insanely long hours, I was on furlough, and we used to spend as much time as possible outdoors, playing in the garden or exploring the woods nearby. Seeing the natural world through the eyes of my child as he stroked moss, hugged trees and collected leaves reignited my sense of wonder, and I began to see the magic once more. Slowly I started drawing again, and I realised how much I had missed it.

  I knew that this was something I needed to keep doing. My brain had become full of ideas - places, creatures and colour palettes that needed to come out. I filled sketchbooks, wore pencils down to nubs, and spent a fortune on handmade watercolours, and in July 2020, The Daydream Emporium was born!

  I relaunched my old, very sad looking Etsy shop and started to turn my art into real products. I began with prints as I felt this was a safe option, but soon realised that I could turn my art into so much more. I began branching out into jewellery and accessories, so people could take a little piece of my magic with them wherever they went. With a unique, fantastical aesthetic, I hope to bring the same sense of wonder and 'what ifs...' to my customers, and to continue to create an almost believable population of creatures to inhabit the hidden places of our world.

  Coming back to my art after falling out of love with it, has made me appreciate it more than ever. I feel so lucky to be able to indulge my imagination in hours of daydreaming and doodling, whilst allowing myself to be my own boss. I am excited to see what the future holds for The Daydream Emporium.

Thank you so much for stopping by,

Laura x