Do It In Daisy With Layla Andrews

Our ‘Do It In Daisy’ series sees us spotlight creatives whom we love to follow, who inspire us to push the boundaries, who create pure magic. And this month’s star has not left us disappointed.

Meet Layla Andrews, a name that if you haven’t already heard of, get ready to. A London based artist making waves, we caught up with her in her studio.

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are quite the same, which is one of the interesting and special things about being a freelance artist, saying that most days do involve being here in the studio.

How did you find your art style?

My style is simply things I’m drawn to at that time so it’s changed and evolved over the years, my paintings have always used a lot of colour and have had quite a layered aspect to them. I’ve always used my hands to paint and blend as well as a brush but the colour palette that I use in my paintings are reflectful of the colours I love at that moment and same for subject matter. I think storytelling plays a significant role in my pieces.

“There is something about crustaceans and crocodiles that I feel harbour a sense of wisdom”

Can you tell us a little bit about the themes that surround your pieces?

I’ve always had a fascination with the sea and the natural world, there is something about crustaceans and crocodiles that I feel harbour a sense of wisdom. They’ve been around for an awfully long time, they are also very good looking and a joy to paint.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I take a lot of inspiration from nature as well as family stories and my love for antiques and second hand goods. I love exploring unlikely pairings. There's definitely a cross section somewhere where all of these things meet in my work.

We talk about jewellery being our everyday armour, how does jewellery make you feel?

Jewellery has always been hugely important to me and I think people’s personal jewellery collections are fascinating and so special. As a child I had a little business venture where I would buy lots of jewellery at car boots and charity shops, break them apart and use the beads to create new pieces. I had my mum and my neighbours take them to work and flog them for two quid a go. I still have an extensive bead collection with lots of vintage pieces. I make some of my own jewellery now. Its a lifelong love.

Can you tell us a little bit about the jewellery you’re wearing now?

This piece is a carboot number of course. Actually got it last weekend so it's very new to me. I have my Daisy bits that I love including the Baroque Pearl Shell Necklace, Shrimps Chunky Chain necklace, Estee Lalonde Dome Ring, Double Shell earrings and Shrimps Spinning Ring all in silver. This ring I’ve had since I was about 15. I wear it everyday and this one I got from a flea market in Brighton for about 3 quid from a silver dealer.

You’re a fan of both Shrimps and Daisy, what is it about the brands that have drawn you to them?

I love that Daisy makes timeless pieces that you can incorporate in everyday looks and I love that it is made by repurposing and recycling jewellery. I have also always loved how playful and glamourous Shrimps can be. I was dressed by Shrimps for my last exhibition and loved how the dress looked next to the paintings. So a collaboration of both the brands is wonderful.

“I make some of my own jewellery now. It's a lifelong love”

We absolutely love this painting you have created as a shoutout to our Shrimps x Daisy collection! How did you know where to start with this?

Well the Daisy x Shrimps collection explores treasure and charms which felt very fitting as my own treasure has been a big source of inspiration in my work. I have been going to car boots for all of my life and developed a love for collecting in my opinion beautiful but strange and miscellaneous goods, so these have naturally worked their way into my paintings. I wanted to approach this piece with that in mind. Combining elements of Daisy, Shrimps and my own treasure and colour palette.

I know this is a difficult question but do you have a favourite piece of artwork or a favourite moment?

I had an exhibition this year that was based on my family’s trip to St Helena in October. St Helena is where my grandad grew up and it's also one of the most remote islands in the world. We were never able to go before as an airport has only just been built recently so getting to go to the island and getting to see the place I’ve heard stories about my whole life and being able to paint from my grandads stories on the island was so special and rewarding.

What's next for Layla Andrews?

I’ve just moved back to London so am looking forward to spending some time in the studio and creating my next collection.

As huge fans of Layla’s we commissioned a piece of art that would celebrate the Shrimps x Daisy ongoing collaboration. With recognisable iconic style and our two brands’ iconic symbols, it’s safe to say we are beyond thrilled with the outcome.

You can shop Layla’s work at laylaandrews.com