British artist Sophie Mess is renowned for her vivid, botanically inspired pieces that show vitality, energy, and life. Her work is the definition of what vibrant means: colorful and popping with shapes that resonate with nature. It is based on the idea that art can improve our mental health and have a huge impact on how people feel when seeing murals, especially those filled with color and flowers.
Sophie Mess – Bringing Nature’s Calm to the Concrete Chaos
From her beginnings in the street art culture of London to her present residence in Devon, Sophie's murals inspired by nature have developed into a potent look at the serenity and wonder that nature has to offer. She creates moments of calm among moments of chaos in city life by creating uplifting, colorful artwork.
About her initial moments as an artist, she shares how she began:
"I initially started painting these big, colourful, oversized flowers because they were fun to create and felt cheerful. Then, I began receiving a lot of positive feedback about how they were bringing joy to passersby and brightening up people’s commutes, which really inspired me to keep going. I also think there was some subconscious nostalgia at play. While I was living and painting in London, I was originally from the countryside, and I grew up surrounded by flowers and plants because my parents were amazing gardeners. I believe there was an unconscious longing for that connection to nature."
The containers tower for @northwestwalls by Sophie
Landscapes, Nature, and Memories Behind the Work
Sophie Mess is constantly photographing interesting flowers wherever she encounters them. Traveling and painting murals allow her to discover new visual references, which often inform her work along the way. In recent years, she has also begun growing flowers in her own small garden, creating a more personal and ongoing source of inspiration for her creative practice.
That is exactly what she hopes people feel when they encounter one of her murals: a sense of calm, joy, and awe drawn from nature, and a moment of positivity, even if brief. Through her work, she invites the viewer to connect with nature through playful perspectives, inspiring a sense of wonder and igniting imaginations.
She shares:
"I believe street art has the power to transform how a space feels, and in turn, it can impact how we feel. Urban environments can often feel disconnected from the natural world, which is why I think nature-themed murals can help bridge that gap. These murals remind us of our connection to nature, making us feel part of something much bigger than ourselves, and in doing so, they offer similar psychological benefits. I specifically think that bright, extra-large floral murals – especially in unexpected places – can grab attention and create a momentary escape from the noise of city life."
Artists With Their Own Creative Process
Sophie is constantly photographing flowers and building an extensive reference archive to draw from. For certain projects, she also produces dedicated photoshoots tailored to specific concepts. Because her murals are always site-specific, she considers the wall’s surface, location, and surrounding environment before developing a concept that fits the space.
Once she defines what the piece needs to communicate, she creates the artwork digitally, using Photoshop to manipulate images and build compositions. After finalizing the design, she prepares a detailed color list for the mural. She then sketches the outlines directly onto the wall, often using a doodle grid method to ensure accurate scale and placement. With the structure in place, the final stage focuses on applying color with spray paint.
Photos: @sophiemess_
