TishPaints
This month we’re chatting with the wonderfully warm and wildly talented Tasha – the artist behind tishpaints. From a secret Instagram account set up in lockdown to a thriving creative business filled with wildflowers, wiggly lino prints and joyful workshops, Tasha’s story is brimming with inspiration. We loved hearing about her creative adventures, her beloved “shed” studio, and the passion for nature and conservation that shapes so much of her work. Grab a cuppa and come along as we step into her world…
1. Tell us about yourself and how you came up with Tishpaints?
I’m Tasha and I’m the artist behind tishpaints. I’m currently based in Reading but spend lots of time in Devon too! Tishpaints started back in the pandemic in 2020. A friend of mine had been trying to convince me to share my artwork online for a while, and when lockdown hit, I turned to art to keep myself busy. I’ve always loved plants and flowers so it seemed like an obvious thing to start drawing! I secretly started my Instagram and eventually grew a little community. Christmas that year, I took a risk deciding to sell some Christmas cards – I still remember how amazing it felt when the first order pinged in. After Christmas that year, I shut down my shop for a couple of months and worked on creating my first stationery collection (cards and stickers mostly); I relaunched in March 2021 and it’s all expanded from there! Now, I sell a mix of stationery items (cards, notepads), art prints, original art and hand painted homeware, and I teach creative workshops too.
2. Have you always been artistic?
Yes, I would say that I have. I remember learning to draw as a child; I think my mum gave me a book of how to draw animals when I was about 7 or 8. My sister and I used to sit at our dining table drawing guinea pigs for hours. I studied art at GCSE and A-Level, which was where I really expanded my creative practice and tried a lot of new things. During my A-Levels was when I knew for certain I wanted a creative career.
3. What would you say your biggest inspiration is when coming up with new designs?
I love being outside and exploring new places. In 2025, I made it my mission to do more adventures around the UK; I’m very lucky to have my sister as my adventuring buddy. We’ve visited countless places – cliffs, waterfalls, wildflower meadows – it always gives me so much inspiration to take home! I also love visiting different botanical gardens, and another personal passion of mine is learning about conservation. When I was a child, I visited an island on holiday and spent a lot of time in their biodiversity centre; it blew my mind to learn the impact that climate change was having on their coral reefs. Since then, I’ve learnt a lot about the impact of climate change in the UK too, especially for pollinators and wildflowers (which a lot of my work is inspired by!).
4. Where do you work from?
So I actually have a ‘shed’, which always makes everyone laugh. But it’s my safe, creative space! I picked the wallpaper, and it’s overflowing with different art materials that I’ve collected over the past 15 years or so of my life. I love sitting at my desk and watching the birds flying through the flowers outside.
5. Can you talk us through a typical working day?
A typical day for me starts with packing orders. After the post office run, I usually try and get outside to do some painting, even if it’s not something that I’ll sell. It’s important to paint for fun too! If I have a workshop coming up, I usually spend time creating moodboards or thinking about the materials I need for that. There’s always a lot of admin that goes on behind the scenes of running a business, and at the moment, I’m looking for new markets to do, but I’m also focusing on my new ideas for 2026.
6. What is your favourite part of what you do?
Recently, I’ve been doing more markets, which has been amazing! It’s been a lot of fun to try some new events at the end of 2025, it’s also been a great way for me to personally reflect on how far my business has come. Seeing everything I’ve made all together, on one table, makes me so proud. I also love teaching workshops and talking to people about creativity. Watching people learn something new is something that always leaves me feeling very inspired.
7. What design are you most proud of?
This is such a hard question! I have a few originals that I absolutely love. I also have a lino print, which is called Wildflower Vol. II, which I actually released in the spring of 2025. Before I knew what flowers I wanted to carve, I’d had the idea of creating a lino with a wiggly edge… It’s just so fun! I always have that print on display in the studio, because I love it that much! Another print I love is ‘The Whimsical Greenhouse’, which is actually inspired by my Dad’s garden.
8. As we enter into 2026, what are your plans for the year?
I’m still finalising my plans because I tend to have a lot of ideas; something I really want to focus on in 2026 is selling more original art. I would also like to teach more workshops and have a mix of shorter and longer courses, too.
9. What advice would you give to a maker just starting out this January?
Experiment and remember that everybody starts somewhere. Something that I hear at my workshops over and over again is people saying, “My artwork looks nothing like yours!” – don’t compare your artwork to anyone else’s, and try different things. Everyone creates differently, and everyone has their own style.
10. Lots of people use crafting to relax, does this apply to you? And if so, how do you maintain this when it’s no longer a hobby?
Absolutely! For me, tishpaints was my creative outlet for my mental health, which then turned into a business. I still find it difficult sometimes to find the line between painting for fun, and painting to create a product, which is why I’ve turned to making more original art recently. For me, using art to relax has become even more important since I’ve been diagnosed with chronic pain & had some health issues. I love doing different creative mindfulness exercises where there’s no set end goal. Occasionally I’ll take part in some of my friends’ workshops too, to try something completely different!
11. Your social media is so beautiful, what tips do you have for other makers wanting to embrace social media this year?
I always say quality over quantity. I’ve started to be really strict with myself and only put out content that I feel 100% happy with. Try to get in the mindset of your audience: What would they want to see? What might they want to learn? Also, don’t be scared to post yourself too. Your audience wants to get to know you, as well as seeing your creations!
A huge thank you to Tasha for sharing her journey with us – from drawing guinea pigs at the dining table to carving wiggly-edged lino prints and inspiring others to pick up a paintbrush. Her gentle reminder to experiment, explore and create for the sheer joy of it feels like the perfect note to start the year on. If you’d like to fill your days with more colour, creativity and wildflowers, go give tishpaints a follow and explore her beautiful work. Here’s to a 2026 full of inspiration!
Previous Featured Maker – Red Head Wondering
To find out more about Red Head Wondering head to her shop or read all our previous maker interviews here.
