We love to share our favourite finds from Instagram, Etsy and beyond. When we first saw the gorgeous designs from CL Illustrates we knew we had to share them.
My name is Charlotte Lloyd and I am the artist, owner and ‘CL’ behind CL Illustrates, a small business that offers minimalistic custom designs and prints inspired by simple ideas and everything Country and Western.
Born and raised in Cardiff, Wales with a degree in Photography and Art & Design, I always hoped that I’d one day put my creative education to practice and fuse my love for country music, fashion and art to create something of my own. Over the years doodling and creating custom gifts for friends and family became my hobby, my sketch-pads began to fill up with tassels and simple cowboy hat designs and it wasn’t until March of 2020 and the world came to a standstill that I was given the greatest gift of all; time.
I went from having a non-stop work/social life balance to having all the time in the world and I knew it was now or never. I began creating simple western prints and custom designs for family to build up a collection of work to post on social media and within weeks I was getting my first orders, building a small following and making connections all around the world. There really is nothing like getting your first order from the heart of country music, Nashville Tennessee!
Country music plays such a large part in my life and is the soul inspiration behind one half of CL Illustrates. It all began at the age of 12 when the first season of American Idol aired and I watched every episode with my Mum, being exposed to artists you simply don’t get in the UK, and watching Kelly Clarkson being announced as the first ever winner. Fast forward to today with 6 Country to Countries under my belt, countless gigs travelling around the UK and too many band t-shirts to count, my art is a way of pouring all the love and experience I have into something that I can share with like-minded creatives and western fans.
The second half of CL Illustrates incorporates simple lines with anything the customer desires. I offer listings for anything from family portraits to architectural designs – I’m yet to turn down an idea! One of my favourite things about this whole journey is getting to speak to people from all over the world and discussing unique ideas, it’s what keeps me inspired and learning something new every day.
It’s been just under 2 years since I officially launched CL Illustrates and it’s been one of the most rewarding decisions I’ve ever made. I’m so excited to make more connections, meet more like-minded people and continue to grow my designs and customers for a very long time. This is just the beginning!
Instagram: @cl.illustrates
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