Front cover artists
Brampton artists Kate and Liz Pope, who happen to be twins, share a bond that goes beyond the typical sisterly connection. They attended school together, pursued the same art and design course at Chesterfield College, and continued their academic journey at Staffordshire University, surprisingly opting for the same degree. It's almost inevitable that they now collaborate to create art and manage a sustainable, local business together.
I caught up with this month's front cover artists at the Vintage Tea Rooms on Vicar Lane over a flat white and a biscuit.
Liz and Kate’s artistic talents have been passed down from their dad, Denis. Denis recently painted a canvas of their beloved VW Campervan for Liz and her partner Pat.
“Our dad has always been an inspiration to us. He’s a highly creative man who, following his retirement, has just started painting again. We got him paints and brushes for Christmas and he painted our Campervan for us as a gift, which is so beautiful it made us cry,” say Liz and Kate.
From an early age Liz and Kate knew they wanted to make a career from their art and couldn’t really see themselves doing anything else.
“We realised we could turn our passion into our profession at our university degree showcase event, where we sold quite a few pieces of our work. It wasn’t long before I started getting briefs through the post and teamed up with Liz to start our collaborative journey,” smiles Kate.
“We started off selling handmade cards at shops in Chesterfield and had an exhibition at A4Art, which is sadly no longer with us. We do have some available in West Studios still,” says Liz.
Keen to know more about their collaborative approach to art, I asked them, how do you work together to create piece of art, who does what?
"We have illustrated a lot of children's books together such as; Wanda’s First Day, Mermaid Dreams, and quite few educational and sticker books. We both know our strengths, Kate is creative with colours and paint, and has a commercially appealing style, and I am more fine art, lines and a bit quirky. It works well together,” says Liz.
The twins use Minute Man Press, a local business based in Brampton for all their prints.
“It’s great just being able to walk over the road and collect our orders. It keeps our carbon footprint and posting costs low whilst supporting a fellow indie business. Plus, they send us a hamper at Christmas,” smiles Liz.
Liz and Kate's reimaginings of some of the UK's most iconic cities, towns, and landscapes stand out as their top-selling pieces, and it's easy to see why. The vibrant colours and expressive lines evoke a warm and joyful sensation, reminiscent of the Great British summer. Their artwork transports me back to a childhood filled with memories of laughter, hope, and optimism
“Whitby, Chesterfield, Matlock, Brighton...sell well, but our most popular piece is the Edinburgh one, that’s also my favourite,” smiles Kate.
The future for the Pope twins is as bright as their art, with several commissions underway and a thriving Etsy store.
“We are currently working on a few pieces for our clients, and we are always open to more. A big thanks to Simon and Paul (S41 and S40 Local Magazines) for featuring us this month,” say Kate and Liz.
lizandkatepope
lizandkatepopeillustration
LizandKatePopeArt
Comments