Earthy, story filled illustrations where melancholy, yearning, and vintage inspired whimsy meet.
Atomic Solstice grew from Emma Yell’s lifelong fascination with the wonderfully strange things that surrounded her growing up. With a father drawn to 1950s science fiction and a mother devoted to Celtic folklore, her childhood was filled withmusic, tchotchkes, and a love of the unusual.As an adult with a background in art, Emma found those early influences expanding into an infatuation with Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and mid century space age design, blending vintage art and ephemera with the visual language of tattoo culture.
Emma’s illustrations explore yearning, melancholy, and the feeling of wanting more from life, often leaving enough space for the viewer to find their own meaning. Her prints begin with a digital sketch before being printed, traced, inked, and painted by hand in black. The drawings are then scanned and colored digitally, preserving a black and white master that allows Emma to experiment with different palettes. That process carries into a collection of prints, bandanas, enamel pins, stickers, and other objects.
What makes Atomic Solstice unmistakably Emma is the combination of an earthy color palette, ornamental flowers, and recurring sad clown girls, cats, and rabbits. The imagery feels nostalgic without being precious, specific enough to suggest a story while remaining open to interpretation. Emma creates wherever she can find the room, often working from her bed with her cat nearby in a small apartment without a dedicated studio. It may not be ideal for the back, but as Emma puts it, the horrors persist, and so must the art.
What You'll Find at Bloom
Illustrated prints, bandanas, enamel pins, and stickers featuring earthy palettes, ornamental details, vintage inspired imagery, and Emma’s signature cast of melancholy characters.
Follow Along
With Atomic Solstice
Why Bloom?
”I love pvd and really wanted to be part of the art community here. I have a few friends that are also part of shop bloom who suggested I try it out!” - Emma
Fun Fact
Emma enjoys watching urban exploration/architecture youtube documentaries while she’s working late at night, she’s been vegan for 10 years, and is a portrait/concert photographer!