Behind the Frame: An Interview with Kay Widdowson
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Time to read 5 min
There’s an unmistakable warmth to the artwork of Kay Widdowson—a sense of storytelling woven through layered pattern, playful wildlife, vintage charm, and richly observed detail. Her pieces feel collected rather than manufactured, inspired by nature walks, antique treasures, historic estates, and the quiet magic of everyday life.
In this edition of Behind the Frame, Kay invites us into her creative world, sharing the routines, inspirations, and personal touches that have shaped a decades-long career in art licensing and design.
With a love of history, wildlife, layered pattern, and storytelling, Kay Widdowson creates artwork filled with warmth, wit, and whimsical charm.
Read on as Kay shares her daily rituals, creative process, and the inspiration she finds in nature, antiques, and everyday beauty.
I’m inspired by so many things and have always kept scrapbooks to spark ideas.
How do you structure your day?
After feeding my beautiful cat, Beebee (I’ve always had a cat to keep me happily distracted), I check and send emails over a strong cuppa tea. I always keep a sketch or painting on my desk from the night before, so I’m not starting with a blank page. I begin with lots of thumbnail sketches for whatever project I’m working on to keep ideas flowing. I usually spend a couple of focused hours working, then head out for a walk in the early afternoon.
On sunny days, I like to bring a small notebook to the park and sit planning ideas—or simply watch people and animals. Back in the studio, I’ll spend time painting and scanning artwork. After dinner, I often assemble images in Adobe Photoshop. Beebee loves sleeping beside my desk near the window so she can watch the birdies. I enjoy checking Instagram at some point during the day, though I’m not much of a social media fan, so I keep it minimal.
Kay Widdowson's Home Studio
I’m happiest working long hours with the radio or music on. I love early sixties soul—Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Wilson Pickett—as well as 1940s big band and swing from Lester Young, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Frank Sinatra. Every couple of weeks, I take a day off to visit a gallery show or museum. I live near Manchester, so there’s always something going on. I can easily spend a whole day in bookshops—I have a large collection of art, textile, children’s, ceramics, and gardening books.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’m always developing new designs, and once I’ve completed a batch, I send them out for licensing opportunities. I work with a variety of clients, including Stupell Industries. I also regularly work with Rosenstiel's (UK). Recently, I’ve licensed designs to Liberty Puzzles (US) and card collections to Natural Partners (UK). One of my biggest projects to date was creating blue-and-white homewares designs for One Hundred 80 Degrees (UK) which has recently been re-licensed.
Kay Widdowson | Teal Birds on Branch
Kay Widdowson | Flowery Heron
How do you approach creative roadblocks?
I keep lots of notebooks and sketchbooks nearby for when I feel stuck. Sometimes I’ll email a client to ask what they’re looking for, then set myself a design deadline. I might browse a thrift shop or second-hand bookshop for inspiration. If nothing is working, I’ll tinker in my little garden or take a nap—Beebee and I both love an old lady nap for half an hour.
Where do you find inspiration? What trends inspire your current work?
I’m inspired by so many things and have always kept scrapbooks to spark ideas. My tiny house studio is full of pictures, books, pottery, ceramics, tin toys, shells, stones, and postcards. Visiting galleries and museums keeps me inspired. Growing up, my parents often took me to large estates to admire paintings and antiques. When they were first married in the 1950s, they worked as a butler and a maid in a country house. They filled my head with stories and gave me a love of history and found objects. I also keep an eye online to see what’s trending and what clients are looking for.
How does your background or environment influence your art?
I live overlooking allotments and woodlands, with a nature reserve behind my terraced house. I love watching herons near the river and, every so often, spotting a kingfisher. Owls flying overhead in autumn feel magical, as do so many of the creatures that appear in my work. My tiny garden attracts wildlife, and last year I had hundreds of butterflies and bees! I love watching plants and trees come into blossom and seeing the seasons change.
In the old days, I worked in collage, which meant the cats were always walking around with something stuck to their fur. These days, I do the cutting and pasting digitally instead.
How has your artistic style evolved, and why do you think it has changed?
I’ve made a living from my art since 1989, so I’ve seen huge changes—especially in technology. I still paint traditionally, then scan everything into layered files in Adobe Photoshop so changes can be made easily. In the old days, I worked in collage, which meant the cats were always walking around with something stuck to their fur. These days, I do the cutting and pasting digitally instead.
I think my style is more recognizable now, with stylized forms, layered details, and bold graphic shapes. I’m always trying to improve, experiment with new painting techniques, and keep creating the work I love.
Kay Widdowson | Whimsical Blue Folk Garden Wall Art Floating Framed Canvas in Black (Front View)
Kay Widdowson | Whimsical Blue Folk Garden Wall Art Floating Framed Canvas in Black (Side View)
From morning sketches over tea to evenings spent refining artwork in Adobe Photoshop, Kay Widdowson approaches creativity with curiosity, consistency, and heart. Her work reminds us that inspiration often lives in the smallest moments—a garden in bloom, a favorite bookshop, birds outside the studio window, or stories passed down through generations.
Explore Kay’s collection and bring home artwork filled with character, charm, and timeless personality.
Shop the Kay Widdowson collection
Kay is based in Manchester, United Kingdom. She studied Film and TV Graphics at Chesterfield College of Art, then worked as an animator in children’s television before going freelance in 1989.
Her illustrations have appeared in children’s books, on jigsaw puzzles, cards, calendars, tableware, and homewares. Her tiny terraced home studio in Manchester overlooks allotments and part of Chorlton Nature Reserve, so she’s never short of inspiration.
Kay likes nothing better than spending her days creating pictures in her studio with her cat Beebee, a jazzy tune tickling their ears with tea and biscuits at the ready.
