Every good design begins with a drawing. I have many sketchbooks filled with observations of plants and seeds, sketches, colours, patterns and ideas accumulated over decades of designing. I collect vintage botanical books and am constantly jotting down ideas from playful doodles to unusual colour combinations. I return to my old sketchbooks often and am continually inspired by their freedom and ideas.
My designs begin as a pencil sketch, first as a loose idea in a sketchbook and then translated to a larger piece of paper. At this point I begin to work the elements into a repeating pattern. A textile design needs to flow gracefully and seamlessly across the fabric or wallpaper so that the eye travels effortlessly over the pattern unaware of the join. It should grow and intertwine taking the eye with it.
The design is next traced onto lino. Each layer of colour requires another lino to be carved. This is a traditional and slow technique which can’t be hurried. I need to ensure that the flow of the design is maintained through each step of the process. I have my favourite Swiss gouge tools which have the familiarity of friends. They feel comfortable in my hand from years of use and almost instinctively know which marks to make to bring the pattern into being.
Having carefully chosen my colour palette, the ink is rolled to a very thin tacky consistency and then rolled carefully onto the lino. Ensuring the careful registration of the paper, each colour is printed over the previous one waiting for a day between colours for the ink to dry. Sometimes a design is strong as a one-colour print, and other times the composition requires two or more colours.
Once all of the layers of colour have been laid down, and let then left to dry the pieces of the design are cut together to form the completed, repeating, textile pattern. It appears to wander seamlessly across the paper and magically the design comes alive.
One of the most satisfying part of my my work is seeing the completed design come alive. Wallpaper adds texture and warmth, a sense of place and a feeling of home. It makes the walls sing with a particular joy.
