Le Fae Artist: E. R. Whittingham

Day 22 of Le Fae welcomes the whimsical mind of E. R. Whittingham!

Emily Rachel Whittingham is a ‘whimsically gothic’ artist hailing from the UK. She creates and reimagines characters and creatures with paint and illustration. An Animation graduate from UCA Farnham and a nostalgic at heart, Emily draws inspiration for her work from the things she loves: vintage American animation, classic horror films and books, fairy tales, modern vintage culture, tattoo art and sweet edible goodies. Her artistic influences include Tim Burton, Roald Dahl, Jasmine Beckett-Griffith, pop surrealism, traditional tattoo art and old-school Disney (including the classic rides at the Disney parks!) Emily frequently participates in the Macabre Monthly Online Markets on Facebook; and is most likely to be found somewhere in England either creating art, drinking tea, or fawning over cute reptiles.

Artwork Title: “Frankenstein’s Fairy and Dragon”
Size: 12 x 12 in
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Price: £200 / $270

To purchase through the artist by visiting her her shop at www.erwhittingham.com.

MEET THE ARTIST

• Start off and tell us your name! Who are you?

Hi everyone! I’m Emily, better known as E.R. Whittingham!

• What kind of art do you create and what medium do you work in?

I create ‘whimsically gothic’ character-based art. If it’s spooky, I’m there. I mainly use acrylic paints but also use Copic markers.

• When did you know you were an artist?

When I was about nine years old. It was then I realised I could actually draw (for a nine-year-old anyway) and that, more importantly, drawing is one of the greatest things ever.

• Le Fae is about all things magical fairy! Tell us about why you applied to the show and what inspired the work you made for the curated collection?

I applied because…well, I love fairies! Ever since I was a kid, fairies have always been a part of my life and continue to be. (I have to admit, I still want to be one! Who doesn’t want lovely wings?) For the piece I created especially for this show, I simply combined two of my favourite things: fairies and classic horror. I drew a Frankenstein fairy about a few years ago, and I loved the idea so much that I planned to revisit her as a painting, and to give her a dragon companion. So what better time than for the Le Fae Art Show!

• Where did you hear about Bubble Pop Gallery and what made you want to be in the show?

I remember seeing Bubble Pop Gallery advertised somewhere on social media back in 2018. As I was new to the art game and wanted to get my work out there, I put myself down for their upcoming art shows and have been lucky to be in two of them! I wanted to be part of this lovely show in particular because Bubble Pop are an awesome bunch and always put on a great show… and also, fairies.

• Have you ever done a gallery show before? If yes, how many?

I have yes. 15 to be precise, including Le Fae and two upcoming virtual art shows. I’d love to be able to go to one of them in person one day. I also usually exhibit my work at events such as Whitby Goth Weekend and Glastonbury Faery Fayre. I can’t wait to return to those.

• What is your favorite thing about being a creative?

Oh wow, this is a tough question! There are so many things I love about being a creative. Coming up with new ideas, being able to materialize your imagination into reality, drawing the things I love, making others smile with your work… this is probably the hardest question I’ve had to answer in a while!

• What inspires you?

My work is mainly inspired by old Disney and American animation, classic horror, fairy tales, Tim Burton, traditional and neo-traditional tattoo art, the Disney parks and my hero Jasmine Beckett Griffith.

• How does art make the world a better place?

To be honest, without art, the world would be so much emptier than people would realise. No books, no music, no theatre, no films, bland websites, bland buildings…I could go on. But for me personally, art is a much-needed escapism. Be it a painting, film, play, puppet show or music, it transports you to another world. And more than ever, we do need that from time to time.

• Where are you located?

Hampshire, England

• What projects are you working on that you can tell us about?

I’m currently working through a few commissions and a piece for an upcoming art show but afterwards, there are a few projects I’d like to get round to creating. I haven’t painted one of my baroque vampires for a while and I need to remedy that.

• Where can people find you?

People can find me on Instagram, Facebook and my own website. They can also find me in my bat cave drinking tea.

• Anything else you would like to share?

I do believe in fairies!

LIVE ART

There will be no live art today. We are sorry for the inconvenience. There will be a live on Wednesday with Guilli Munster! Join us at Bubble Pop Gallery on Instagram while he will make art and answer some Q&A live on Instagram!

Le Fae Virtual Art Show

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