Riley Sheehey has grown a business and a devoted circle of admirers for her delicate and whimsical designs. They include hand-painted clothbound book covers, block prints of flora and fauna, and collaborations with brands like Framebridge, ChappyWrap, and Ralph Lauren.
The Falls Church–based artist’s latest project is her debut book, Modern Motherhood, which illustrates profound and everyday moments of parenthood through the lens of modern delft tiles. We caught up with Sheehey about her love of books and painting, and where she finds her inspiration.
What inspired you to start painting classic book covers?
My husband found an old copy of Little Women — it’s my favorite. I painted the cover thinking, ‘I’ll give this to my daughter at some point as a gift.’ She’s 3 now. I posted it on Instagram, and people were asking questions about it. It was really fun to paint it, and I’ve always loved to read, so I just started painting more and more books.
Are there others that you would love to paint?
My daughter’s really into Winnie the Pooh right now, so I think it would be sweet to do one of those. I’ve done one [of the] Anne of Green Gables [books] but would really like to do another because that’s one of my favorites. And Tuck Everlasting is another one I’m looking for.
What was the inspiration for your book, Modern Motherhood?
The book was inspired by delft tiles. They’re about 400 years old and initially were inspired by Chinese tiles and would tell little stories. I was really inspired by the idea of these little story tiles and just started sketching them out. At the same time, I was noticing all these little moments with my daughter that were just so sweet. So I started painting these little moments of motherhood as delft tiles. I did a print run which did really well and eventually thought it would be really sweet to do a book. Modern Motherhood is a book of 100 illustrations. There are a couple captions, but not a whole lot of writing other than my introduction. It’s a very giftable book for moms, grandmas, aunts, and any kind of caretaker.
Are there any local Virginia brands that you would love to collaborate with?
I’ve been like a big fan for years of The Quirk Hotel in Richmond. I’ve always thought it would be fun to do something there. My friend Sarah owns a little flower shop in Falls Church called Botanologica. Together we’ve talked about how it would be really fun to do a summer block party in Falls Church.
Where do you go in the area when you need inspiration?
Definitely Botanologica. And in DC, I love Dumbarton Oaks. And, it’s not really for inspiration, but Dominion Wine and Beer is my favorite place to go. We’re there at least once a week for dinner.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Feature image photo by Abby Grace Springmann, @abbygracephoto
This story originally ran in our July Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
