Having studied BA Ceramic Design in London she went on to work as a surface designer applying her style to various projects, such as fabric design, ceramic decoration, greeting cards, wrapping paper and interior design.

Emily attributes her style to many and various influences:

‘’Japan with its fascinating culture and history has a strong influence on my designs. The boldness, simplicity and use of colour in Japanese textiles has inspired a great deal of my work. ‘Water-lily’ is one example and the ‘Fish’ pattern could have evolved from staring at Koi Karp in a Tokyo garden or perhaps hours spent under the sea during my travels in South East Asia.

Design of the 1920’s and 1930’s, also greatly influenced by Japan, is perhaps the other greatest resource for my patterns. The forceful colours of ‘Oleaster’, ‘Orangery’, and ‘Redcurrants’ could be considered reminiscent of the block colour once used in fashion and interior textiles from this period.

On the contrary, soft, delicate colours and hues have an equally satisfying result. English and French textiles from the turn of the century, ceramics, furniture and design of the Arts and Crafts Movement may all have had something to do with ‘Quince’, ‘Trees and Pots’ and many others.

The traditional flowers of an English Garden in summer with an abundance of Hollyhocks, Roses, Delphiniums, Lupins and Foxgloves and an array of visiting insects is a happy, comforting place for me to be.

It is so satisfying when two colours are placed together which really compliment each other. Sometimes it takes a few attempts to get the right combination, but it is certainly worth it when the end result is just right.

It is difficult to say where ideas come from. It can be a piece of fabric from a French flea market, a photograph of a pot from Ancient Egypt, a section of food packaging from Japan or a tile on E-bay.

There are so many rich and wonderful sources of visual information; the difficulty is finding the time to explore them all!’’