Susannah Taylor - Selfcare & Creativity

For us, the moth beautifully symbolises the spirit of Ancient + Brave: ever-evolving, constantly renewing, yet carrying the wisdom of the past within its wings. When we envisioned this project, there was no one else we wanted to collaborate with more than @susannahtaylor_ . Her creative vision and talent brought this to life in the most meaningful way, and we’re excited to share a video that captures her incredible work. The story behind the mural: “Kate came to me saying A+B was moving offices and there was the perfect space that was crying out for a mural - she envisaged a huge moth. We both agreed that moths are very underrated and mysterious creatures, but they are also rich in symbolism that seemed very fitting for A+B. Moths are associated with the dark and following the light, folklore, transformation and change, spiritual connection and guidance. We often think about moths as being dreary brown creatures that eat our clothes (!) but there are incredibly beautiful moths with wonderful markings. Kate wanted the mural to have a dark, jewel-like vibe and so I chose colours that reflect the brand and its packaging. I painted the background in a dark burgundy and then used a blend of mushroom, forest green, dark brown, burnt orange, teal and blue on top. Around it are elements I associate with Ancient + Brave - rare and natural ingredients, mushrooms, the sun, moon and stars, berries and leaves. I then added vibrant touches of gold that give it a celestial edge and really zap it into life.” - @susannahtaylor_ And the story doesn’t end there. Susannah’s stunning mural will soon be showcased in a new festive Ancient + Brave product collection. Watch this space! #wallmurals #beforeandafter

Well this is soooo exciting! Up against so many wonderful floral displays, our window display at @edwardbulmerpaint only just won ‘Most Innovative Display - overall winner’ at Belgravia in Bloom. Sooo thrilled and thanks a million @edwardbulmerpaint for asking me to adorn your windows with blossom, apples, birds and bees, (all in your beautiful paint) and @frankpmatthews for the beautiful trees that provided the inspo. I am passionate about the environment and love everything that @edwardbulmerpaint stands for. There is fierce competition so we are over the moon @thepimlicoroad @belgraviavillage #belgraviainbloom #chelseaflowershow2025

Join me for ‘A stroll through a Midsummer’s Morning’! That’s what I’m calling this now finished mural which hopefully will add year long Summer to our house even on dark, damp Winter days like this!! I had left it half done so it’s now complete. It’s full of some of my favourite flowers from Astrantia , to Pincushion flowers, Larkspur, Wax flowers, foxgloves, Persian buttercups and tall grasses (I love painting leaves!) I’ve used @edwardbulmerpaint paints, the most wonderful natural paint company who make the most beautiful paint colours using natural pigments. Many of the colours have a softness and depth that other paints don’t have and even though they are meant for walls and woodwork they are amazing to paint this with. With very high eco standards they also don’t smell because they don’t contain nasty ingredients. For info, the background is Jonquil and I’ve used a lot of Light Olive Green (love this one against pink) , Saxony and Brunswick Green Deep for leaves. I’ve used Nicaragua a dreamy pink for some flowers, and Tyrian for darker pink details like butterfly wings! There’s Pure White on petals and Flaxen Grey for shadows and a few touches of Quaker a gorgeous soft yellow in the bumble bees and flower centres. Welcome to my year of creativity, I feel I have put my art on the back burner for way too long . Lots more to come Big love Sus x Lampshade by @alicepalmerco #mural #murals #muralpainting #edwardbulmer #ecopaint #botanicalart

Our Elizabeth Street store is officially in bloom! A huge thank you to the wonderful @susannahtaylor_ for bringing our beautiful chintz print to life with a hand-painted fairy tale-inspired window for Belgravia in Bloom. If you’re heading to the Chelsea Flower Show next week, pop by and see us in store. We’d love to welcome you 🧡 📍75 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PJ #belgraviainbloom #chelseaflowershow

This weekend head out on a Wonder Walk . Make sure you take in the sounds, the smells and also the sights. You need to look - I mean REALLY look - at the colours, the magic of the structure of a dandelion head, how the hawthorn shimmies in the wind, at the perfect formation of a feather. You couldn’t create these things if we tried! It makes you not only appreciate the beauty around us but the magic of nature and the world we live in. And that is awe/ wonder and it’s a very powerful antidote to all the tech and screens in our lives. If you can, then go home and paint or draw what you see (even if you think you can’t) - because creativity, nature and mindfulness are unbelievably important for our wellbeing. Put them all together and it’s like medicine for our frazzled minds. Try it and let me know how you get on ! Sus x

Another hand-painted piece winging its way across the Atlantic to a client in the US. I loved working with @decurateinteriors on this piece which is completely bespoke. The inspiration started with a beautiful flower covered rug in the clients house which I took and created three different potential designs from. I was inspired by folklore/Fairytale flowers and plants…..pansies, ranunculus, irises, poppies, and lily of the valley. I can never resist other beautiful elements from nature and am slightly obsessed by dragonflies which symbolise personal growth and spiritual connection. The whole thing is edged (including the knobs) with a geometric diamond trim. The background is the wonderful Babouche by @farrowandball a beautiful rich yellow which is set off by the wooden top which has the most wonderful wavy edge to it. Some sunshine heading to US shores Happy days X

I am SO worried about AI and it’s keeping me up at night….not for myself but for life as we know it. Is there anyone out there who is thinking of the bigger picture for humanity. What this will do to human beings - rather than how it makes life easier / more productive. Perhaps it will make human beings more creative, and it will make anything ‘by hand’ more valuable . But perhaps it won’t and will we be able to tell the difference? Should there not be laws in protecting our humanity? Is that not more important than anything? Shouldn’t the government be working on a plan about how the kids are going to learn? Because in 5 years time education as we know it will be entirely different. When knowledge is just a given - when we can know everything in seconds. What will school look like ? Everyone has an opinion of what it will be but the truth is no one knows…. But I know this….i LOVE being human and love human beings and think we are pure magic . We are WAY cooler than AI. And no I don’t ask Chat GPT anything - it’s like feeding a monster. Besides I like my own mind. I don’t think I’m being a Luddite . The opposite - I’m thinking ahead…beyond AI and what it will do to us. Is there anyone else out there who feels the same?! Or am I a dying breed? Sus x

Happy World Earth Day for yesterday Sometimes we all need a perspective shift and the @nasaartemis crew recently provided that. It threw into relief the unfathomable wonder of the world floating in the universe - a place that has the perfect conditions for nature to thrive and for us to live. It’s nuts to me that anyone would want to destroy it. All I want to do these days is paint and draw the natural world and the beauty that surrounds us (in this vid) . It’s a practise that makes me grateful for all the details of this precious life and I an passionate about teaching others to do the same. I’m hosting a workshop at @thyme.england with @wildflowermagazine on 14th May where I will take everyone through the importance and benefits of studying the natural world around us. How it’s a practise in mindfulness and gratitude. There are a few spaces left - link in bio No experience required Sus xx

New work… Thrilled to be working with the brilliant @decurateinteriors this year on some amazingly creative and bespoke projects. First up is this very special grandfather clock for a client of theirs in the US. I worked with Nadine at @decurateinteriors to create a design packed full of personal meaning. The grasshoppers, the frog, the swans, the ladybirds dotted about….all have special meaning to the owner. On a background of ‘Puck’ from @littlegreenepaintcompany I then used other paints from @edwardbulmerpaint , @paintandpaperlibrary and @farrowandball for all the details It’s currently winging its way across the Atlantic to its new home.

What an adventure - it feels like a dream! Watching the incredible footage of Artemis II last week, I was dumbstruck by the astronauts’ comments about seeing Earth hanging in a sea of black space - an oasis of life amidst the darkness. Seeing/ hearing this whilst I was exploring South East Asia for the first time in my life with all its colours and culture filled me with awe for this wonderful world. Usually I’m very good at appreciating the magic around us, but recently I have been bogged down, like everyone, by the oppression and ugliness in the world. But this trip, celebrating my 50th birthday, visiting @bella.evanspollard on her travels has been the greatest reminder of the wonder of humanity and the beauty and magic of nature and the planet. From yoga overlooking the beach in Thailand to the Full Moon Party with 20,000 teenagers in Koh Phangan to the Temples of Siam Reap in Cambodia and our incredible guide whose life story of snakes, shamans and resilience in the face of war left us open-mouthed to befriending and feeding elephants their lunch at the @cambodiaelephantsanctuary - all shared with my favourite people and our teens who (unbelievably and genuinely!) seem to love hanging out with us! This is a trip we will cherish for a lifetime. I’ve come home, heart full, with tonnes of painting inspo

My favourite place is with my people….family and friends…and I’d travel the world to be with them xx

My first time in Koh Phangan My first time in Asia in fact. I never went travelling when I was young because I went straight from school to art college then i started working and never stopped! As a 50 th bday present i said to my husband I desperately wanted to travel and we’ve had the best excuse coming out here to see our lovely daughter who is currently out here. Here are some highlights from the last few days - Being reunited with @bella.evanspollard who we miss terribly and lovely @immie.shaw . After 3 days travelling it was a v emotional reunion - The Full Moon party with the teens and some other mums. Holy moly this was wild! There I was thinking it would be campfires on the beach but there were 20,000 people there !!! 🤣 - We stayed in Sritanu which is a wellness hub on the island. I did Yoga at @orionhealing with @idanyoga i loved this Vinyasa flow class looking out onto the beach . Particularly loved the chat at the beginning which was all about ego and how we should tap into our inner ‘watcher’ . The inner ‘you’ that looks out at the world. - LOVED Secret Beach and sundowners at the beautiful jungle bar there - Pure Massage in Sritanu . My masseuse knelt on my back, straddled me , hooked my legs over her shoulders, made me sit up and stood on the bed putting her elbows into all the knots in my back. Was so painful but soooo good . We could learn a thing or two from the Thais about massage in the uk - Amazing smoothie bowls at Eat.co - The local food market Now off to Bangkok for the night