Elizabeth Knapp, When I Decorate Things

I am a mixed media artist based in Thornton Heath, near Croydon in south London, in the UK.

My When I Decorate Things art shows my visceral response to colours and patterns, via the skills and techniques I have honed over time. 

I have always drawn and painted, and won art prizes through school while anticipating a career in the arts. However I became disillusioned with Art at A Level and slid into a Sociology degree, followed by living and teaching in Japan, and then a career in the financial and public sectors.

While I continued to dabble in art and crafts over the years, my creative activities went up a gear when I moved into a new home with my young son in 2013. I fell in love with the brightly coloured and decorated furniture I had seen in magazines and on fledgling social media. I started to revamp some of my own wooden furniture.

Lots of experimenting and learning ensued and When I Decorate Things was born in early 2017.

For the first couple of years I focused on decorating wood. I then developed a yearning to create colourful shiny things with epoxy resin. After more studying and practising I added resin art, animals and jewellery to my When I Decorate Things creations. 

In the covid lockdown I picked up a paintbrush and pencils again, and added figurative art to my portfolio. 

While I work in a variety of media and create a range of items, there is a thread of values running through my pieces:

• Colour and pattern – I am uplifted by colour and love experimenting with vibrant colour palettes. I am drawn particularly to animal and plant designs and spirals.
• Happiness – I create pieces which aim to bring joy and brighten the viewer’s day. I hope that when viewers pause and encounter my work, they can be in the moment and create a little breathing space in the hecticness of daily life. 
• Sustainability - I incorporate salvaged materials into my work, waste nothing and package and travel as sustainably as possible. 

I am a member of the Croydon Art Society, South London Women Artists, Artists in Public Service and Croydon Creatives Directory. I was also a member of the House of Upcycling, the UK and Ireland's leading authority on professional upcycling for interiors, from its launch in 2017 until its closure in 2024.

Photo: Rakel Wienberg