A Conversation with Artist Blakely Little

Blakely Little believes that art has a way of evoking nostalgia in a home.

After discovering her love for the process of creating art, Blakely began to explore painting as a medium for play, and Blakely Made was born. Interpreting the world around her through dreamy illustrations and paintings, Blakely has a refreshing and playful perspective that inspires us to see the beauty in all of life’s little moments.

We were excited to catch up with Blakely to learn more about her recent collaboration with McGee & Co., her process, and how she got started. Scroll through to read our conversation and explore her new collection with McGee & Co. here!

"There is so much value in original pieces of art. It's something that you can pass down in your family and gift to your kids or your grandkids. It can stay with you for so long."

Photo via @blakelymade

How did Blakely Made come into fruition?

I studied arts management in college, thinking that I might work in interior design or in the gallery space. After a semester abroad in college taking studio classes in Florance, Italy, I fell in love with the process of making art and began to think that maybe my dream of being an artist could come to fruition. I had an amazing professor who encouraged me to stay true to myself and let my personality come through my work, and I started to establish my perspective through the lens of what I loved most — travel, food, and color.

When I graduated, I got a job doing floral design, and I spent my nights and weekends painting. Slowly, I was able to go part-time with my day job and then eventually full-time with my art after a few years; the rest is history!

What feeling do you want your artwork to evoke in a home? 

I think that bringing memory into the space you live in is so important, and I always want my artwork to evoke a sense of nostalgia. When I begin a series, I try to capture the moments when my soul feels comfortable and giddy and bright, similar to how I want to feel at home.

Photo via @blakelymade

“I always think of art as the cherry on top of any space.”

How do you curate your surroundings to create an environment for tuning into your work?

Natural light and music are my two must-haves, but the most important step in creating an environment for my work is making sure I have the space to create freely and express ideas without pressure. I start in my sketchbook, where I record aspects of my life without the fear of messing up. In my studio, I paint from those colors and sketches of inspiration, and I find it helps me remove the reality from the painting and create a more dreamy feeling. There’s also so much truth that art is both work and play. Sometimes fueling creativity means getting to the studio even if you don’t feel like it; embracing that every day invites different challenges.

Via @blakelymade

How do you feel that art completes an interior?

I always think of art as the cherry on top of any space. Like the jewel box in a room, it brings everything together and makes any vignette feel special, adding a sense of familiarity to a home.

From our McGee & Co. 2022 Summer Catalogue

Tell us more about the inspiration and process behind each piece in collaboration with McGee & Co.

I was inspired by the feeling of adventure and exploration when creating the pieces in collaboration with McGee & Co. I focus a lot on line, color, and light in my work. So, for these pieces, I started my process with the pencil, playing off the rich, creamy paper. I love the warmth of the color, the tactile feeling it brings, and that it pairs so well with the paint colors I incorporated. I used a lot of Farrow and Ball interior paint for this series; they have such rich pigments, and I love how dreamy they feel against the paper.

From our McGee & Co. 2022 Summer Catalogue

What does living beautifully mean to you?

To me, living beautifully means living authentically. Getting outside of myself and always trying to expand my view of life brings me to a more authentic version of myself that I’m bringing into my artwork. I never want to make art just because someone likes it; I want to make it because it feels authentic to what I’m experiencing.

What’s next for you and your art? Where can we keep up with what you’re working on?

I want to explore more travel collections in the future, and this summer I’m hosting a workshop in Greece that I’m really excited about. You can find my work on my website at blakelymade.com and follow along with what I’m doing on Instagram @blakelymade!

Via @blakelymade