Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be a surface designer.
I live and work (from home) in Peebles in the Scottish Borders with my husband, Gregg, 5-year-old son, Arto, and 2-year-old daughter, Ottie.
I started my company in 2012 after spotting a gap in the market for British / iconic animal-themed homewares, with mine being a contemporary and illustrative alternative to the usual tourist souvenirs that saturated the UK gift market (at the time). When I started the company I was working full-time as a graphic designer at a design agency in Edinburgh, where we lived. For 2.5 years, I worked tirelessly during the day at my day job and then in the evening growing my business, dealing with manufacturers, managing stock, contacting retailers, and of course, designing! I used a lot of my annual leave to exhibit at trade and consumer shows. It was exhausting and relentless at times, but I loved it, and seeing my products selling in shops was very exciting.
Who or what influences your art?
Nature, flowers, and wildlife are undoubtedly, my favourite subjects to draw! I love watching animals, studying their interactions with others and their surroundings, and witnessing their human-like tendencies. I also love pattern-making and enjoy taking inspiration from nature to create them for inclusion in my designs.
What mediums do you use to create your art?
When creating designs for a new collection, I work either in pen or pencil, creating multiple drawings that I scan in and then colour-correct in Photoshop. The drawing part is pretty quick, it's the pulling together of all the elements on the computer to make up the overall design that takes a while, but it's a fun process. I have also used my iPad to create designs, I do enjoy working on that but, if I had to choose between the 2 it would be pen/pencil on paper any day of the week.
My sketchbooks are much more carefree and show a variety of mediums. I often work in watercolour and layer up with coloured pencils and pens.
You have had great success selling your products wholesale. Tell us how you came to start wholesaling products and about some of your biggest buyers.
My first trade show was in January 2012 and it was at that trade show that I met Waterstones. They were to become my first 'big' retailer with multiple outlets. But the order didn't happen straight away. It wasn't until 2 years later after sending countless emails and sending some samples that they sent me their first order.
That can quite often be the case with trade shows, they are fun and tiring (not to mention costly) events to do but the hard work begins after the show, in the follow-ups.
In 2017 I exhibited at NYNOW which I loved and it was probably the most successful trade show I've exhibited at. I don't know if it's different in The States, but buyers there were much more willing to place orders at the show than UK buyers are at UK shows. It was there that I met with TJX. I've created lots of bespoke products for them to sell in Marshalls, HomeGoods, HomeSense, and Winners.
Tell us about your experiences with exhibiting at trade shows.
Trade shows have changed a lot in the last 14 years since I started doing them. Is there still a place for them? Absolutely. But they are so expensive to do and you do have to pick wisely which ones you do. I think making yourself as visible as you can online is more important but that in itself is not an easy task. But I would start with getting on wholesale marketplaces like Faire. I don't do much on that now because my ranges are wholesaled by Parkwood Springs, but before that, Faire was brilliant for me.
Trade shows can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you have never done one before but honestly, so long as you have your brochures, are showing off your products as best as you can, and remember to smile, you will be fine. There are dry spells during trade shows where it can be very quiet so make sure you have plenty of snacks! I always had a sudoku puzzle on my clipboard. It helped pass the time and made me look busy as if I was writing out orders, which is always a good look. Sitting slumped in your chair and scrolling through your phone is not. Save that look for when you get home!
You recently made a huge pivot in your business to licensing. Tell us why and how you chose to make this big change.
It was a culmination of several things. From day one, licensing has always been at the back of my mind and so I have always been interested in taking it as a career path. The thought of spending more time designing is very appealing! Since having children it's been very difficult staying on top of things. In order for my company to survive I needed to be in the business full time which just wasn't possible. I was managing ok after my son was born (and that was through a pandemic) but after my daughter was born, things became really difficult.
I have taken on board wonderful staff in the past on a freelance basis but I needed to make the decision on where I wanted to be and where I wanted to take the company. Either, keep breaking my back working at any and every opportunity, or pass on the responsibility of sales and manufacturing to somebody else.
When my Mum's health started deteriorating after her cancer diagnosis last year, my mind was made up. I wanted to spend time with her, be available to help my Dad, be more present for my children, and not be stressed about what SKUs I was running low on and keeping on top of sales and order fulfillment. I was very fortunate that the company I approached (Parkwood Springs) to take on my ranges was as keen as me to take my designs on.
Would you like to share any advice you have for designers who are thinking about wholesaling products or licensing their artwork?
It's funny, I know almost all there is to know about wholesaling, but having only recently made the leap into licensing, I almost feel like I am starting all over again. I've been busy taking courses and learning all there is to know about this game! For wholesaling, if you're starting out, my advice would be to start small, niche down, and consider if there is a demand for what you are selling, and how is it different from your competitors. As for licensing advice, perhaps ask me in a year's time?!
One bit of advice I did get that I thought was great was to focus on contacting companies that your art is right for, now. I would love to get into greetings but 90% of my art is repeat pattern-based, unless I can wizard up 25-50 designs suitable for greeting cards right now then I will be focussing on reaching out to fabric, homewares, and home decor companies. So in short, you may have dream companies you just love and would love to work for, but is the art you have right now, right for them?
What's next for you in your artistic endeavors? Are there any other companies you would like to collaborate with?
Where do I start?! I am busy creating some new designs for my UK licensee, Parkwood Springs, for launch at the London trade show, Top Drawer, in Spring 2025. I still take on bespoke projects for trade customers where I design a collection exclusive to them and so I have been pitching to a few other companies lately. Earlier this year I created a design for Edinburgh Botanic Gardens that I licensed to. I would love to create more ranges for garden centres!
I am also continually adding to my surface pattern and illustration portfolio which I use to pitch to companies. I would love to collaborate with Anthropologie and Target, although I would equally cherish the opportunity to work with much smaller brands! UK companies such as Dunelm and Next are on my radar.
My Garden Allotment calendar for 2025 is slowly but surely coming together - I had hoped to be finalising it now but I have 3 more months to complete it. I will be making them available for pre-order in August. I do have to remind myself that I only have 2-3 days a week to work and that I will never get everything done, so I am trying to get better at giving myself longer deadlines.
Website: www.cherithharrison.com
Instagram: @cherithharrison
Skillshare drawing class: https://skl.sh/2MSf41v
Surface Pattern Newsletter Sign up (for companies interested in working with me): http://eepurl.com/djynIP
Customer Newsletter (for those interested in hearing about my new products etc!): http://eepurl.com/c7lV2f
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