Abi Tippetts and Roz Berkeley Hill, the dynamic duo behind Tipperleyhill, have been captivating art enthusiasts with their vibrant and whimsical creations. Known for their joyful, uplifting prints and colourful original artworks, and window murals they bring a sense of playfulness to everything they create. They also inspire hundreds of budding artists through their lively in person and online painting classes, where their encouragement and love of colour really shine.

Their collaborative approach results in pieces that exude joy and a profound love for colour. Although we haven’t met in person, we’ve shared many lovely conversations on our Instagram squares. It’s been a genuine pleasure to follow their journey and to see how their individual talents come together with such infectious creative energy.

I am thrilled to welcome Roz to The Colour Couch, where she shares insights into their creative process, inspirations and the vibrant world of Tipperleyhill.

What is your earliest colour memory?

My Mum says ‘purple’ was one of my first words. It was my favourite colour when I was little and seeing the illustration of Benjamin bunny’s father in his purple jacket fills me with nostalgia.

What does colour mean to you?

Colour is what brings me joy in life and work. I’m a maximalist at heart and my home is filled with colour. Any of our paintings or designs begin with the colour and I’m always in charge of mixing the colour palette for our work. If the colours are not right nothing else works. 

Do you have a favourite colour or a colour that you find yourself constantly drawn to? And why?

I’d say blue. I wear a lot of denim and find blue suits me and is calming. Two rooms in my house are painted in blue, one Stiffkey and the other St Giles (F&B). It also goes with everything. My dark blue mantlepiece sets of our bright florals.

Do you have a colour that you least like? And why?

To be honest I love all colour, but a certain shade of lilac isn’t my favourite.

What do you love most about working with colour?

Its ability to lift your mood. The permutations and possibilities are endless and I’m always learning of new ways to put colours together. It also connects me to likeminded people. We are very much in a ‘colour loving’ tribe! It often surprises me how scared people can be in using it, but it’s second nature to us and we’d struggle to paint in monochrome!

What do you think your life would be like without colour?

We wouldn’t be inspired to create if we were not able to use colour. Even when my children were babies, I still needed to have colourful projects to keep me feeling fulfilled. I quilted and embroidered bedspreads and Christmas stockings for both of them which I’m very proud of. Tinkering away in the evenings once they were in bed, gathering embroidery thread, buttons and trims, it kept me sane!

Were you ever afraid or wary of colour? And what did you do to overcome this?

I was never afraid of colour, in fact it was the reverse. When I did GCSE art there was a lot of emphasis on drawing in ink and shading with pencil. I found this realistic and monotone style stifling and uninspiring. I started to believe I wasn’t good at art and taking the colour away felt wrong. 

I changed schools for A level and was lucky to have teachers who loved colour and encouraged me to do life drawing on brightly collaged grounds using sugar and tissue paper. This led me to creating lino and mono prints on these multi coloured surfaces and I felt like a door had opened.

If you could pick any colour and give it a name, what would that be?

Smashed raspberries. I love that deep, warm shade of pink.

For anyone afraid of colour what would your number 1 piece of advice be?

These are some great tips I learned from my textile designer boss and they’ve come in very useful in life. 

1. When using colour, give it a friend – so have a blue and then a lighter blue. Add a grounding colour (a neutral). This will always make your colour palette more sophisticated.

2. When painting flowers don’t just paint the petals pink and the stalk and leaves green. Add some pink to the leaves and some green to the flowers. This makes your florals less naive 

Which colourful person do you most admire and would love me to interview for the On the Colour Couch series?

Nina Jex @ninajexmagpie. I discovered her beautiful account on Instagram. She has a wonderful eye for colour and has curated art exhibitions in her home. The work she shows is affordable and isn’t just art, it’s sculpture, ceramics, jewellery and textiles, but Nina’s love of colour links it all. I’ve done painting workshops with Nina, which have been a real joy. We are soon to put on an artists retreat in Devon.

I just love that one of Roz’s first words was ‘purple’ and how even now she has a nostalgic connection to the colour. And all I can say is, thank God Roz changed schools!

If you would like to discover more about Roz Berkeley-Hill and Abi Tippetts, head over to their Instagram @tipperleyhill.

Wishing you a colourful day,
Karenx