From Kitchen Chaos to Snake Empire
The completely true story of how snakes evolved legs to wear boots
How We Grew Legs!
THE BORED KITCHEN
It Started with a Pot Washer:
Picture this: A rundown restaurant. Me, with little culinary experience, somehow hired as head chef to run the kitchen solo. The chaos was real, the stress was overwhelming, and there was one very bored 16-year-old pot washer who really, really didn't want to be there.
I wanted to make him laugh during all that madness. So while trying not to burn down the kitchen, I started wondering: "If a snake had legs, how many legs would they have? How would they move? Would they skip? Would they crawl?"
Those silly sketches I drew to entertain a teenager became my obsession. What started as stress relief doodles turned into something I couldn't stop thinking about.
Because here's the thing - snakes getting legs made perfect sense. They'd obviously want exactly two legs (four would make them lizards, and that's completely different). And they'd want them for practical reasons, like finally being able to wear those boots instead of being stuck inside them
When Doodles Become Degrees:
Fast forward to university, where I was surrounded by creative illustrators at Plymouth. I couldn't help myself - I kept asking my classmates: "How do you think snakes with legs would move?"
Their ideas and inspirations fueled this growing passion in my heart. What had started as kitchen chaos therapy was becoming something serious.
I made a decision that would change everything: I chose Snakes with Legs as my final major project. This wasn't just a fun side idea anymore - this was my academic future. I created a maquette (the sculptural models animators use) to understand my snake characters from different angles. I researched and designed a whole zine exploring the important questions: Would they have long legs or short legs? Would they wear hats? Pants? How would their world work?
I decided their world would be purely snakes - no humans. Because originally I thought maybe they evolved from nuclear radiation, but that felt too dark. I realized I didn't need to know their history. I could just draw them doing day-to-day things, having fun, and being wonderfully silly.
University was stressful. Final projects, deadlines, the pressure of proving yourself - it was a lot. But my best friend said something during this intense time that became our motto, and eventually the heart of my entire brand:
And it was true. Life is absurd. Snakes wanting legs to play football is silly. Stressing about art school is silly. Taking everything so seriously all the time is silly.
This phrase became my guiding philosophy. Instead of fighting the absurdity, I decided to embrace it. My snakes would try to do everything humans do, but with their tails instead of hands. And they'd approach it all with that same determined energy: "This is ridiculous, but we're doing it anyway."
The snakes don't have arms or hands - just two legs, a tail, and a lot of attitude. They use their tails, their feet, their mouths, and sometimes just hope the environment adapts to them. Or maybe objects just float when they need them to. Because everything's so silly, and that's perfectly fine.
"EVERYTHING'S SO SILLY"
The Motto That Changed Everything
"EVERYTHING'S SO SILLY"
POP CULTURE AND PLAY
When Snakes Met Art History
One of my favorite university projects happened when I decided to put snakes in a museum. I recreated famous paintings - the Birth of Venus, the Mona Lisa - but with snakes with legs as the subjects.
It was pure joy. Taking these serious, reverent art pieces and making them wonderfully ridiculous. The project was inspired by artists like Keith Haring and the philosophy behind Hello Kitty - characters that could be anything, do anything, while still being recognisably themselves.
I drew them on planes (because "Snakes on a Plane" was too perfect to ignore). I experimented with different scenarios, different activities. Gaming snakes. Cooking snakes. Sports snakes trying their absolute best despite the obvious limitations.
Each drawing reinforced what I was learning: these characters had infinite potential. Every human activity could become snake content. Every hobby, every job, every holiday - there was a snake with legs trying to figure it out.
Taking Over a City, One Tail at a Time
As university was ending, I had a problem: Bologna Children's Book Festival was approaching, and I'd signed up to go. I thought, "Crap, I need some work to show."
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So I made a children's counting book - "Counting with Snakes" - featuring snakes doing activities from 1 to 10. One snake goes for a walk, two snakes go on a picnic, and so on. I also created an alphabet poster where the snakes twisted their bodies to form letters.
PLYMOUTH CONQUEST
READY FOR THE WORLD
From Local Legend to Global Ambition
After university, I faced the harsh reality every creative graduate knows: "Now what?" I applied to 500 jobs with no success. I finally got work at a vape shop, only to be let go two weeks later when they realized they couldn't afford staff.
Scared but determined, I kept hustling. That's when I discovered the Kings Trust, and they got me onto their program. Suddenly, I had a £500 grant and a deadline: achieve first sales by September 12th, 2025.
But here's what I've realized during this journey: Snakes with Legs isn't just a business idea. It's a philosophy. It's a reminder that the world is often too serious and crazy, and we need something to help us think outside the box, have fun, and be creative.
My mission is simple: I want Snakes with Legs to become a household name that sparks the same joy I felt when coming up with silly ideas during that dead-end kitchen job. I want to prove that following your weirdest creative instincts can lead to something real and meaningful.
The snakes evolved legs because they wanted to wear boots. Now they're learning that the world is full of activities they never imagined, and they're approaching each one with determination, mild annoyance, and endless creativity.
Just like the rest of us, really.
MEET THE ARTIST BEHIND THE SNAKES
Hi My name is Beth - also know as "lonixia"
I'm the artist who accidentally became obsessed with evolutionary biology (sort of).
I'm 22, a recent illustration graduate from Plymouth, and the person responsible for unleashing snakes with legs into the world. When I'm not drawing reptiles attempting human activities with questionable success, I create illustrations under my artist name Lonixia.
My artistic journey has been about following the weird ideas that won't leave you alone. Sometimes those ideas lead to degree shows, sometimes they lead to press coverage, and sometimes they lead to you wearing snake hoodies daily while building a business around creatures that shouldn't logically exist.
You can see my full portfolio work, commission information, and the broader artistic journey that led to this particular reptilian fixation. Because while snakes with legs might be my current obsession, they're part of a larger story about creativity, determination, and the importance of making people laugh during stressful times.
The story continues...
This is just the beginning. Snakes with legs took over Plymouth, survived university and now they're ready for their next evolutionary leap.
Every day, I'm drawing new snakes attempting new activities. Gaming snakes figuring out controllers. Chef snakes trying to flip pancakes. Sports snakes determined to master every game despite obvious physical limitations.
Because in a world that's often too serious, we need reminders to play, to be creative, and to keep trying even when we don't have the right equipment for the job.
The snakes are just getting started. And honestly? So am I.
