Based on Wiradjuri Country in rural NSW, I create whimsical mixed-media artworks inspired by storytelling, daydreams, curiosity, family life and the beauty hidden in everyday moments.
My work explores themes of strength, vulnerability, femininity, self-discovery and wonder through stylised portraits and soulful characters. Each piece begins as a conversation between imagination and intuition, becoming a visual reminder to slow down, reconnect and embrace the magic of being human.
I CREATE ART FROM MY SOUL TO NOURISH YOURS.
My earliest memories are filled with creating.
I was the child sprawled on the floor with pencils scattered around me, sketching favourite characters from television shows and designing elaborate wardrobes for my Barbies. Before I could write, I would tell stories out loud while my mum patiently wrote them down. When stories weren’t on paper, they came alive through play, cereal boxes became scuba gear, my beloved panda became an adventure companion, and entire worlds emerged from my bedroom floor.
Creativity wasn’t something I did. It was simply who I was.
Somewhere along the way, life became busy and practical, and I drifted away from that part of myself. Then everything changed when our first daughter, Bean, was born.
I remember looking down at her and thinking, You can be anything you want to be. You are unlimited.
And almost instantly, another thought followed: If she can be anything she wants to be, why can’t I?
That moment changed everything.
It was the beginning of a journey back to myself and back to creativity.
HOW LILLIBEAN DESIGNS BEGAN
A few years later, after nearly a decade living in Scotland, our family returned home to rural NSW.
With two small children, a head full of ideas and a heart that desperately needed a creative outlet, I spent every spare moment drawing, painting and experimenting. I created wherever I could find space – on the couch, at the kitchen table, and eventually in a tiny garage studio.
And that’s where LilliBean Designs was born. Not in a fancy studio. Not with a grand business plan.
But at a kitchen table surrounded by the beautiful chaos of family life.
I started my first blog, Listening to the Squeak Inside, in 2010, opened an Etsy shop in 2011, and sold my first painting to someone outside my family in 2013.
Since then, LilliBean Designs has grown into a business, a creative practice and a community that continues to surprise and delight me every day.
LIFE BEYOND THE STUDIO
These days, I still live in rural NSW with my husband Mac, our three daughters — affectionately known as Bean, Bug and Beastie (or collectively, The Terrible Trio) — a German Shepherd convinced he’s a lap dog, and a COVID-era cat who occasionally tolerates us.
Life is wonderfully messy.
Between school runs, family adventures, creative projects and the daily juggle of running a small business, I’m constantly trying to find the balance between creating, dreaming and living.
Truthfully, I’m not sure balance exists. But I’m having fun trying.
A FEW THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME.
- I take endless photographs of tiny treasures I find in gardens, on beaches and while wandering through nature.
- My husband and I left Australia intending to travel for a year and ended up living on the beautiful Isle of Raasay in Scotland for nearly a decade. I still miss the island and its people deeply.
- Whenever my girls ask what we’re doing today, I reply: “The same thing we do every day, Pinkie trying to take over the world.” Mac and I love our in joke that they haven’t quite grasped!
- I read a lot. My fav genre is romance. The world is a shitty place and I love a good HEA!
- Learning to love myself exactly as I am, right now, is an ongoing journey and a recurring theme throughout my work.
- Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my artwork find its forever home.
- I wear a tiny crown around my neck every day as a reminder that I’ve got this handled… at least some of the time.
LILLIBEAN DESIGNS IS:
Thank you for spending some time in my Whimsical World.
I love hearing from other whimsy seekers and creatives, and am always happy for you to drop me a note.
NEW IN STORE
IF ONLY I WERE A LITTLE BRAVER
$695.00 AUD
1 AVAILABLE
This original mixed media painting is for the dreamers who believe they can, those rebuilding confidence, and those learning to trust themselves again.
It’s a visual reminder that courage can be soft. That growth can be imperfect. That becoming yourself is a brave act all on its own.
SIZE: APPROX 40 x 50 cms
MATERIALS: WOODEN FRAMED CANVAS, ACRYLIC PAINT and COLLAGE ELEMENTS
⭐️ 5.0 REVIEWS
🚚 FREE SHIPPING (AU ONLY)
✋🏻 HANDMADE
BECOME A SOUL WHISPERER:
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If you love creativity, whimsy, and finding magic in everyday life, you’ll feel right at home on the LilliBean blog. Discover creative tutorials, behind-the-scenes studio stories, seasonal inspiration, and gentle encouragement to help you create a life filled with more beauty, joy, and wonder.
