As a self-taught wildlife and nature illustrator, I bring the intricacies of British wildlife to life using Procreate on an iPad. My designs are inspired by my love for the environment, in particular the wildlife on my doorstep in Britain. I aim to inspire others to protect and connect with nature.
With a background in the design industry and a degree in wildlife photography, I use intricate line work and natural colour palettes to create products that showcase the beauty of British wildlife. I started my business during the COVID pandemic in 2020, and three years later, I am now self-employed and loving every second of sharing my wildlife world with you.
My designs are inspired by my love for the environment, in particular the wildlife on my doorstep in Britain. I aim to inspire others to protect and connect with nature.
Planet Before Profit
Sustainability is something I am really passionate about, so it is important to factor in my business. From material selection to packaging, I prioritise options with minimal environmental impact. For instance, my acrylic keyrings are crafted from recycled plastic, diverting waste from landfills and not supporting new plastic production.
My packaging is recyclable, if not then biodegradable but there is always room for improvement so I am constantly on the look out for more sustainable options that mean you can make easy, eco-conscious shopping choices.
Helping Wildlife
We all have to work together to help and protect wildlife around us. We don't all have the skills to be hands on, so thats why I like to use my skills to raise awareness and money for organisations that can. In the past few years I have used profits from calendars and pins to raise money for local vets and wildlife hospitals and have more ideas in the making to help wildlife.
Working with Conservation
I used to work as a designer for a printing company, and although I enjoyed the creative process of the work, I rarely found projects that aligned with my interests, sometimes projects or clients I wouldn't like to work with.
Transitioning to my own business has been a game-changer. Now, I have the freedom to draw what I love and create products that ignite my passion. What's more, with commission work, I've had the opportunity to immerse myself in back-to-back passion projects.
Working closely with nature reserves and wildlife charities has been especially fulfilling. Collaborating with companies that share my values and passions not only feels rewarding but I also feel really proud to be a part of these projects and contribute my skills to causes that I deeply care about.
The Big Dream
Ferne Creative started as something so tiny and innocent but has grown in momentum. Over the next few years I hope to have even more products with key British species, with more of them raising money for conservation. As the business is based around my own illustrations I want to focus more time on this, it is so easy as a one woman show to get bogged down with packing orders, marketing, finances and all other aspects of the business that time for drawing is non-existant so I would love to expand my team to allow more time to draw wonderful creatures and also volunteer my time to work hands on with wildlife; I particularly love the idea of helping in a rescue. I don't dream of a huge factory but a larger studio to call my own in my garden where I can be surrounded by nature as I draw.
Want to work on a project together?
I am always open to commissioned projects, wholesale oppertunities and product ideas.
To get in contact email ferne@fernecreative.com
Oliver - Surrey Wildlife Trust
Ferne quickly interpreted our brief and produced a vivid, accurate design that both represented everything we wanted to get across and added an artistic flair to bring our campaign very much to life. We’d recommend her without hesitation.
Gill - Merthyr Tydfil Council
Ferne took her time understanding the brief and adding her own flair along the way to create the most exquisite drawings that capture nature at its most beautiful. Drawings inspire and give life to wildlife.The most magnificent illustrations that perfectly capture nature at its best ; they are inspirational and give life to fauna.
Carly - Marketing Officer at Surrey Wildlife Trust
We worked with Ferne to create illustrations for a pin badge design. Her illustrations are amazing, and she was incredibly helpful and great to work with through the whole process.
Andy - 4A2
I’d seen Ferne’s work online and enjoyed her drawings so much that I ordered one of her calendars. The quality and skill of her illustrations and the obvious passion for her subjects shone through. By coincidence, I was asked by a client to produce an illustrated brochure on the subject of Nature Isn’t Neat, a handbook to extoll the benefits to nature of managing grassland areas. Ferne embraced the brief, and her deep knowledge of the subject matter was a real bonus. Including plants, insects, and animals, Ferne produced a series of pertinent and beautiful drawings that perfectly complimented the project, bringing the brochure fully to life. I, and my end client, are thrilled with the final result, and I cannot recommend Ferne highly enough.
Laura - The Royal Zoological Society Of Scotland
Having seen Ferne’s print of Scottish wildlife, I knew she would be the perfect artist to create several drawings of Scottish species for us. Ferne was really helpful throughout and generous with her time. When we asked for some minor adjustments Ferne took these on and altered them perfectly for us really quickly. I would happily recommend Ferne, she is really skilled and a pleasure to work with.