Behind Arcana
Welcome, I'm Ria. I create art with a story, one that encourages a personal connection to nature in the everyday.
My passion for nature has always been my artistic fuel, leading me to found Arcana with my husband Jake in 2022, with a mission to deepen our connection to nature through art.
This is Arcana: a marriage of art and natural history, woven into heirloom textiles for you to treasure and transform your home.
Nature Education through Art
Our collections are infused with the 3 things we are most passionate about: nature, education and art.
We wanted to create something that wasn’t just pretty but purposeful. We believe in the power of bringing beauty and depth to the things we use every day, and so the art in Arcana designs tells real natural world stories.
The intricacy and the artwork has been designed to show the depth and distinction behind each species.
Heirloom Woven Blankets
Arcana's first signature product are heirloom woven recycled cotton blankets that promote nature connectedness by featuring species-accurate artwork.
Every blanket comes with a Nature Connection Guide, which gives educational information about the species and ecosystem in each design.
Wildlore Gallery Patches
Arcana's second signature product - Wildlore Gallery Patches - are gift-able, collectible miniature works of art that tell the story of species symbolic in cultures around the world.
Intended to embellish your every day, they bring the beauty of nature into your world.
Who we are
I, Ria, have a previous careers in science and photography. I am now a full time artist, passionate about nature education and promoting nature connection. I research, draw and design all of the art you see in the Arcana Collections.
Jake is Director of the Environmental Research Institute at the University of Belize, studying forest and reef ecosystems and consults on much of the natural history behind the designs.
We have two young daughters, and live between the beautiful countryside outside Bristol, England & the tropical haven of Belize in Central America.
Shopping Small
Small stock and made-to-order
You can pay now using your card, Paypal or pay later with Klarna.
We are a small independent British business, and with sustainability close to our hearts and always on our mind, we keep a small stock in our studio and make-to-order if demand exceeds our stock.
Occasionally we have pre-order events, so if you want to own your very own Arcana items, sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss our new releases, pre-order events and promotions:
Designs in video: Forest Flight, Night Garden, Night Garden Duotone, Indoor Jungle Window
Mysteries uncovered....
Arcana means ‘secrets or mysteries’. It is a word that entered the English language at the start of the Renaissance, and it was often used in reference to the physical and spiritual worlds, and sometimes in reference to specialised knowledge. To us, it represents the ‘secrets of nature’, the magical mixture of science and meaning which underpins all that we do at Arcana.
Production
Production of our products is done by small family run businesses, and where possible we source materials from the UK:
Our blankets are woven from 75% recycled cotton, 20% spun cotton and 5% polyester that is required in the recycled cotton portion to retain its strength. They are made by a small family run business in the Blue Mountains of North Carolina and ordered in batches to reduce the environmental impact of shipping.
Our cushion covers are made from the same woven fabric as our blankets, or from 100% organic panama cotton printed in the UK. They are piped with 100% recycled linen or zero waste fabric made in UK.
Our Wildlore Patches are embroidered in a very small family run factory who support the local community of Ganzhou, and use a very high standard of ethical and environmental trade practices.
Packaging
All of our cards, slips and paper goods are printed on 100% recycled FSC certified post consumer waste.
All of our packaging is sustainable and recyclable. We use composite mailers that are made from sustainably sourced paper from well managed forests. Our slip bags are made from corn starch and full compostable.
The tissue paper we use is 100% recycled and recyclable. All our printed material is printed in the UK on recycled stock and is recyclable.
Our ribbons and cords are recycled cotton and recycled sari silk.