Ailsa Lishman is a recent graduate from Manchester School of Art, where she specialized in printed textiles for interiors. She currently offers a beautiful array of hand screen printed pillows, as well as small zip-up pouches in a variety of fun and funky colorways. Ailsa’s love of experimenting with “layers of texture and colour” is evident in her playful mark-making seen in these designs.
“After graduating and interning for a while I was selected to exhibit at the New Design Britain Awards at ExCel London 2015, whilst there being surrounded by other textile designers from all different specialisms, I found many had started to develop from fabrics to products. Being fresh from graduating, this wasn’t something I had considered before and it triggered a spark in me to develop my fabrics into something I could showcase and sell.
I was unsure at first how to develop further as I really wanted to use screen print to create my designs. I love the process of screen printing, the hands on nature and the fact that no two prints are ever exactly the same.
I found a creative co-working space that was offering screen print facilities local to me, and off I went!
I taught myself how to sew in zips and linings and created a collection of screen printed cushions with a fresh and contemporary feel. I wanted to create designs different to what’s available on the high street.
For those who perhaps weren’t a fan of a room full of scatter cushions, I create a range of screen printed pouch bags with fun and quirky prints, with various designs and colours to choose from.”
Ailsa has recently created an online shop and a website to promote her work and designs, and you can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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