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Live Caricatures and Events Illustration   

We were invited by Newcastle Uni to Live Illustrate at Winter Congregations 2025:Congregations with Lemon Rose Studios; what went on in the Pop-Up shop?

Written by Lana Free                                                                                                                                                                              18 DECEMBER 2025Winter congregations at Newcastle University bring an air of excitement to the northern chill, with students returning to the city to commemorate their achievements and catch a final glimpse of the arches before beginning their careers. This year brought a special touch to the guests as, whilst the photographers were routinely fixing one mortar board after another and snapping each posed smile, an up-and-coming watercolour artist sat illustrating the day, bringing each unique moment to life.Tucked away behind the photographic booths, Bex and her assistants at Lemon Rose Studios offered live watercolour caricatures to the graduates and their loved ones. Students were able to choose between being drawn live or from their favourite photo, with many watching the talented hands as they sketched their caps and gowns for just 10 short minutes. An artistic alternative to the costly print photographs, Bex’s portraits provided an affordable and beautifully personalised depiction of the special day. Paintings of the iconic university sights were also available to purchase as postcards or prints alongside the portraits, each size (super tiny, postcard, or A5) seemingly made to fit in a pocket or congregation brochure. The portraits and prints complemented each other perfectly in size (A5 and A6), style, and memorability, leaving customers with a truly one-of-a-kind graduation gift; an illustrated microcosm of their university experience.Lemon Rose Studios is known for its watercolour keepsakes and stationery, and has been spotted in markets and events around the North East over the last few years. Bex and her team were invited by the university to hold a pop-up shop at the winter congregations from the 1st to the 5th of December, where she ran the stall and created at least five jobs for local creatives and freelancers. Her commitment to supporting and employing local talent brought a community feel to the pop-up and event, proving that creative entrepreneurship can catalyse opportunities within the wider business and arts scene.Focusing on watercolour portrait commissions and live illustration events, the company are the perfect addition to a special event or celebration. Each unique sketch is beautifully composed to capture each person, couple, or family’s likeness on the day. Many students sitting for graduate portraits also turned an eye to Lemon Rose Studios’ best-selling pet portraits, adding their beloved animal to the caricature or commissioning an extra illustration.“We had graduation sketches of us and a bonus one of our cat as their prices were so reasonable. Really cute pictures and they were lovely people too. Thank you!” – Customer Review.Murmurs of the artistic pop-up drifted amongst the warm buzz of celebrations, making the stall a must-visit for those wanting a playful memento to take home after their ceremony. The adorable style and vibrant watercolours were standout, sealed neatly in a protective pouch ready to be collected and cherished. Although priceless in sentiment, solo illustrations ranged between just £10-£16 – a truly premium service at a student-friendly price.

About Us: Lemon Rose Studios Biography

Written by Adam Heslop                                                                                                                                                                             18 DECEMBER 2025Nestled in the heart of the North East, Lemon Rose Studios is an independent freelance artist offering live illustrations and watercolour portrait commissions. Whether you’re looking for a new profile picture, commemorating a special moment or devoting a present to a loved one, Lemon Rose Studios will capture their essence in its signature style.Beginning as a freelance experiment in 2023, Rebecca “Bex” Appleton started the account @lemonsandwhiteroses on Instagram to document her journey of drawing every day for a full year, producing short-form daily content as well as weekly re-cap videos on YouTube under the same handle. This project became a muse for motivation, promotion, and daily artistic practice. With this gained experience she launched Lemon Rose Studios in 2024 during her final year at Newcastle University. Initially focusing on bespoke, illustrated wedding portraits, she showcased her confidence and technical ability by creating personalised artworks for each and every guest at her own wedding. Each illustration offered attendees a unique, hand-painted memento, creating a lasting and meaningful connection to the day.For her own unique approach, Bex drew inspiration from a wide variety of places. From the surreal and abstract yet undeniably gentle watercolour works of Loputyn, to the bold and graphic style of political cartoonist Ben Jennings, and of course the delightful whimsicality of studio ghibli character design. Lemon Rose Studios is the culmination of years of artistic inspiration, ultimately weaving into heartfelt, genuine portraits that seem to capture character better than any photo ever could.Shortly after their wedding came a third member to their family, and with it a short break. Services relaunched in 2025, utilising their signature style in the form of live watercolour illustrations at pop up markets. After great success in the 2025 Newcastle University pop up and numerous other appearances in Sunderland and Gateshead local markets (Mackem Market, Craft & Graze, North East BIC, Pop Recs, etc.), they were specifically requested to return for the Newcastle University Congregation pop-up, a clear sign of the pride that Newcastle University feels for one of its most promising STARTUP programme graduates.With a focus on thoughtful, character-led illustrations, Lemon Rose Studios continues to create personal portraits for clients across the UK. Now operating primarily online with a small team of creatives, the studio is open for commissions and always readily available to discuss details. Celebrating a milestone, searching for that meaningful gift, or curious about the process? You can reach Lemon Rose Studios via their Instagram (@lemonrosestudios) or their email address: [email protected].

What is Lemon Rose Studios? Freelance Illustrator to Small Business Founder.

Written by Ruby Tinkler                                                                                                                                                                             18 DECEMBER 2025Lemon Rose Studios, founded by Rebecca Appleton in 2024, is a North-East based small business specialising in human and pet caricatures, bespoke events stationery, and live illustrations. Rebecca now makes regular appearances at local markets and events in the North-East, and her business is going from strength to strength.The journey to Lemon Rose Studios began during Rebecca’s time as a student at Newcastle University. In 2023, she started doing commissioned character illustration and comic work as a freelance artist on Instagram with the handle @Lemonsandwhiteroses. Rebecca took on the challenge of drawing every day for a year, documenting her process and experience across various social media platforms. Rebecca’s commitment to posting daily shortform content and longer weekly re-caps grew her audience and led her to an online community.It was then that Lemon Rose Studios was born. While designing and creating her own wedding stationery, Rebecca founded Lemon Rose Studios as a bespoke events stationery service. Aligning her art with the milestones in her life allowed Rebecca to carry the personal touch she developed as a freelance, social media artist forward into her next steps as a business founder.Amongst the chaos of her final year of university study in 2024, Rebecca began to establish her relationship with Newcastle University’s careers service. NCL Start Up is a specific service which offers one-to-one support for entrepreneurial students interested in working for themselves, in whatever capacity, during their studies and for the first two years after graduation. By taking advantage of this resource, Rebecca was able to expand the opportunities available to her as a small business founder and connect with likeminded people.After her graduation, Rebecca took a long, well-deserved, break to have a baby! The flexibility of being a small business founder allowed her to adapt to this new stage of life. In August this year, Rebecca relaunched Lemon Rose Studios, officially registering the business. She began making appearances at local markets, beginning with the Sunderland Teen Market and Sunderland Art Festival.The latest highlight in Lemon Rose Studios’ calendar was a live illustrations pop-up at Newcastle University’s winter congregations between the 1st and 5th of December in collaboration with NCL Start Up. Working with a team of creatives (including writers, photographers and assistant artists), the pop-up was a success both for the business and for Rebecca personally. With some “back-to-back orders” and live illustrations of graduates from a range of disciplines, including psychology, biomedicine and research, it was “great to speak with them about their uni experience” and form a memorable part of their graduation. Alongside Lemon Rose Studios, there were two other small businesses running in the pop-up, and Rebecca loved the opportunity to “see and connect with other creatives.” The winter congregations pop-ups concluded Lemon Rose Studios’ appearances for 2025, entering the festive break on a high!