Artist Riley Sheehey Captures Whimsy and Wonder in Her Fanciful Designs

Text by Elizabeth Czapski

On summer vacation from her job as an elementary school art teacher in 2014, Riley Sheehey began dabbling with her own art business, and what started as a hobby soon became much more. “I initially tried to sell hand-painted Mason jars and linocut prints, and while neither of those items ever really took off, watercolors did, and I began painting more and more,” she recalls.

Watercolor painting lends itself well to Riley’s inherently whimsical style and playful depictions, but the decision to make it her focus was, at first, rooted in practicality. “I started working with watercolors because of how portable they are,” she says. “I toted my art supplies back and forth between my home and the school where I taught every day, so I had to work pretty small and fit everything in a small backpack.”

Riley kept this up until she felt prepared to take the plunge as a full-time artist in 2017. Today, nearly a decade since she started out, she has expanded her Falls Church, Virginia-based brand beyond her signature watercolor originals and fine prints with a practice that also encompasses hand-painted objects, surface designs, textiles, wallpapers, and other creative endeavors—all staying true to her distinctive ability to capture a childlike sense of wonder within her work.

“Since those early days, a lot has changed—the heart of my business is the original artwork I create,” Riley says, noting that she now offers a few established collections each year rather than the custom work she did in the beginning. “But what’s stayed the same is that I feel so extraordinarily lucky to be doing something I love so much for a living.”

This sense of genuine passion is evident in her pieces, which portray scenes like iconic storybook motifs and popular destinations around the world reimagined through a magical lens, as well as fanciful floral, animal, and holiday designs. These illustrations come to life not only across her canvases but also on imaginative elements such as Easter eggs, ribbon, seashells, shoes, and Christmas ornaments.

Her studio is ever evolving thanks to her abundant and accessible source of inspiration: “everyday life,” Riley shares. “Random details I notice throughout the day, classic illustrations from children’s books I read my daughter, memories of life growing up . . . the stuff that seems mundane at the surface but actually is the really good stuff.”

With each piece she creates, Riley endeavors to stay true to herself. “I try really hard to pull inspiration from my own experiences in an effort to make my work unique and as true to me as I can,” she says. “I always am especially drawn to artwork that tells a story, and [I] try to tell a story with each piece I make—and I hope it’s one that resonates with people.”

For more information, visit rileysheehey.com.