“I grew up in a house full of books about birds and bird-related artworks,” recalls artist Isobel Harvey. “The sculptures my dad made were mostly modelled on birds and binoculars, and he’d always point out different species when we went on walks.” With both her parents immersed in art and nature, Isobel’s creative journey and focus were shaped early on. Now a full-time painter, her work heavily features abstract bird motifs alongside other animals, expressed in striking and vibrant shades. “Birds and fish lend themselves nicely to being interpreted because they’re so colour and pattern-heavy in their thousands of species.”
In addition to her rich use of colour, there is also a sense of texture across Isobel’s work which brings her subjects to life. “A lot of my ideas come from constructing and deconstructing a painting,” she explains. “When it doesn’t go to plan, I simply paint over what I’ve done. And that creates tactile layers. I aim for my paintings to be very texture-heavy.” Though the process is largely intuitive, she credits folk art and ancient Egyptian paintings as inspiration for her forms. Loosely rendered ducks, bulls and horses are repeated and positioned in symmetry, often framed by a geometric border.
While oil and acrylic paints are Isobel’s preferred medium, her background in ceramics and an interest in textiles inform her approach. After dropping out of an unfulfilling fine art course, she specialised in ceramics until the pandemic hit. She moved home and suddenly had no access to the equipment in her university workshop. As a convenient alternative, she picked up a paintbrush and applied her skills to the canvas. Reflecting on her experience with clay, Isobel can recognise the fledgling qualities that continue to define her work today. “I think I was trying to create a sculptural vessel that would act as a canvas for a design.”
Her designs have always drawn from nature, a connection she cherishes even as she puts down roots in London. Despite enjoying the creative opportunities the capital affords, she often finds herself longing for the quiet of rural Hampshire where she spent her formative years. “I do sometimes struggle with being in such a big and bustling city where there's a lack of nature. The man-made green spaces don't nurture me the way the countryside does.”
Though the natural world isn’t easily reachable, living in London offers a different kind of inspiration. “It's so diverse and full of creative people, so there's always something new going on. It keeps things fresh and exciting.” Her light-filled east London studio with white walls and tall windows serves as the ideal backdrop for her vibrant colour palettes and bold, abstract brush strokes. Isobel places importance on how her work interacts with the space around it, considering its integration into future surroundings. “Interior design is a big interest of mine,” she says. “I enjoy looking through magazines and seeing spaces with handcrafted furniture, textiles, artwork, and a carefully curated blend of materials and colours.”
This holistic attitude is one of the reasons TOAST sought a collaboration with Isobel. Sharing the belief that art can be brought into the everyday through beautiful objects and clothing, we have partnered with the artist to create a selection of womenswear pieces featuring her dynamic motifs. The collection includes hammered silk garments that feature her repeating check patterns and signature bird forms which complement our Autumn Winter 2024 concept, Patterns & Pathways. “My work is abstract and energetic and expressive, so the ideas came quite naturally to me,” Isobel explains. “I wanted to create pieces that aligned with the TOAST approach, but keeping in mind what would lend itself to being translated from painting to clothing.”
Discover our collaboration with Isobel Harvey.
Join us at TOAST Shoreditch as we exhibit Isobel’s original artworks as part of Shoreditch Design Triangle, a cultural event celebrating creativity in east London, from Mon 9 to Sun 29 September.
A print of her original artwork, Bird in Flight, will be displayed across each of our shop windows and can be purchased in our shops or online. 20% of all revenue will be donated by TOAST to Crafts Council UK.
Isobel wears the TOAST Wide Sleeve Organic Indigo Denim Jacket and Panelled Organic Indigo Denim Trousers.
Photography by Marco Kesseler.
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