profile : elliott my dear

Apart from possibly being the nicest and most gentle souls we’ve ever met, Sarah and Hamish Elliott are an incredibly talented duo. Sarah is an oil painter who has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the VCA in Melbourne and Hamish is a Jazz Double Bassist who now works full-time in design. Their range of original paintings and watercolours, many inspired by Sarah’s childhood are sublime….think a 19th Century garden, red and white toadstools, an owl hooting at bedtime, and a pear orchard, just lovely!

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
Our house is filled with music, cooking, sewing, painting, books and the creative space of a homeschooling family. We spend each day creatively treasuring our space with our children.

When did your business begin and why? 
We’ve been successfully running our own design business Ingres Violin for five years and with great reception to Sarah’s artwork decided to expand into a second business. Elliott My Dear began in 2011 bringing Sarah’s artwork and a unique aesthetic into a design environment.


Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
Sarah uses traditional painting methods in oils and watercolours and paints from the imaginative space of her childhood spent in a two acre 19th Century garden. Filled with red and white toadstools, an owl hooting at bedtime, platypuses in the creek, a pear orchard and a towering Wellingtonia with a silver star shining over the town; her childhood is an endless source of inspiration. Sarah paints her children and from a love of a childhood imaginative space. Elliott My Dear has a distinctly 1800’s, fairytale, poetic appeal.

Designers you admire? 
We love a unique voice and a story in the handmade and have travelled to England to see the Pre-Raphealite and the Arts and Crafts Movements work. We read the works of Ruskin and are constantly visiting the NGV to see the old old paintings. We love design that brings beauty and contemplation to the everyday.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
We love family holidays at the Bay of Fires for quiet, space and sand that is like little gemstones.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
We love working slowly and carefully in a meaningful way and feel privileged to be able to work creatively everyday without compromise. By designing, making and selling our own work we meet lovely people who appreciate our creativity and share in our story.


What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
We have a range of Museum standard Archival prints, brooches, pocket mirrors and accessories as well as some original artworks. We look forward to creating new artworks and designs for Elliott My Dear throughout the year!

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 Missed our February event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.