Here at Slowdown Studio we love collaborating with emerging and established artists from across the globe. We recently had the opportunity to chat with Chloe White, the artist behind the new Carillo Throw Blanket. Chloe is a multidisciplinary illustrator whose work draws from the rhythms of her environment living in beautiful Vermont, USA. She depicts nature, animals, and figures through bold shapes, symbolism, and vibrant color palettes. Chloe creates work that is grounded in observation but elevated through imagination, building compositions that feel both familiar and dreamlike, weaving everyday scenes into small worlds of wonder and folklore.
1. Who do you think is the most exciting emerging creative in Vermont?
There’s a new artist I’ve stumbled across, @christinetylerhill who works as a crossing guard in my community and just launched a zine called “The Cloud Report” which documents and illustrates the things she sees while on the job outside. It’s super cool!
2. Where are your favourite places to go in Vermont?
I spend a lot of time at my local coffee shop called Boxcar Bakery, and in the summer I love all the nature trails and farmers markets we have!
3. What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself when you were starting out in art?
I would tell my younger self, trust your intuition and allow yourself the room to play and experiment and make bad art. Allow your art to evolve, and find inspiration from places other than the internet. Try new things and don’t listen to the adults who think you can’t make a career out of your craft.
4. What are you listening to in your studio at the moment?
I’ve been really into the new Florence and the Machine album, and lots of tiny desk performances on YouTube like Brandi Carlisle and of course Harry Styles because his new album is about to come out! Oh, and Taylor Swift always.
5. What inspired your design for the Carillo Throw Blanket?
I was referencing some pictures I took at a botanical garden in California as inspiration. A lot of the time I just start with drawing shapes and then play around with them until they all fit together and feel balanced.
6. What's your favorite way to slow down?
Most nights you’ll find me doing a mix of reading, crocheting, and drawing or painting. Trying out new crafts the past couple years has been a good way to fill my creative cup.
7. What's the most memorable book you've read in the last few years?
I read a looooooot, but two that come to mind are “The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes and “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V.E. Schwab. I’m also reading a nonfiction book called “Women Who Run With the Wolves” and constantly referencing that. I take a lot of inspiration from reading for my art, and oftentimes will come up with an idea based on something I read in a book scene.
8. What has been the happiest/most rewarding moment of your art career?
This was one of them! I also did my first small art market this year selling physical prints and it went way better than I expected. I’ve painted a few murals and that’s always a really rewarding experience.
9. How does living in your city influence your work? Is there anything about your city that has defined how or what you create?
A lot of my inspiration comes from my environment. I live in a state with so much space and untouched nature, so whether that's drawing something from an image I took on a nature walk or just capturing the feeling of sitting outside by the river, there’s always something for me to grab on to for ideas. Burlington, Vermont is also a super creative community that really values the arts.
10. What are you most excited/looking forward to this year?
I went into 2026 with the intention of following my basest instincts in my art and just how I live my life. So I’m looking forward to trying out more artistic mediums, and I’m also working on making my art more available for people to have in their homes with various print collections. And I’m excited to share this throw with the world!
Instagram: @chloececiliacreative
Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/chloececiliadesigns
