“I PREFER TO DRAW THINGS AS I SEE
THEM RATHER THAN AS THEY ARE, SO
THEY’RE SLIGHTLY DISTORTED”
use etching prints as if they were
works of art; so no editing or
repeat pattern, except for the backs.
I worked with menswear company
Sir Plus on ties and pocket squares
last year. Making patterns for
textiles that people actually wear
is amazing. I also collaborated
with the editor ofES Magazine,
Laura Weir, on her book,Cosy:
The British Art of Comfort.Q
What would be your advice for
anyone new to printmaking?Things aren’t always obvious and it
can be complex, so it’s good to ask
questions. Printmaking can also be
incredibly unforgiving so you have
to stick with it; in fact, mistakes can
often bring something even better
than you ever imagined.
roseelectraharris.com.&Rose uses
different studios
for different
processes.
Here, she is at
Slaughterhaus in
Stockwell where
she goes to etch.FEATURECLAUDIA BAILLIEPHOTOGRAPHSRORY JAMESbe an antiques dealer and my
mother was an interior designer,
so design and decoration played
a big part in my childhood.Q
Where do your ideas come
from and what inspires you?My inspiration comes from the home
and domesticity. I cut things out from
interiors magazines. I’m also inspired
by Matisse – and travel; I spent six
months in India where I fell in love
with the woodblock printing, textiles,
wildlife and architecture. And I
visited Morocco and Sicily last year,
which brought my sense of colour
and pattern to life in a new way.Q
How do you begin working
on a piece?I always start by drawing one element- a freestanding bath or chair, say – in
pen or ink. Then I’ll move outwards,
adding a chandelier, rug, etc, until I’ve
created an interior I’d like to be in.
There’s often a dreamlike, surreal
element; I prefer to draw things as
I see them rather than as they are,
so they’re slightly distorted.
Q
And you like to use a lot
of colour in your designs?One of my tutors at Brighton always
encouraged me to be bold with
colour. I loved British painter Euan
Uglow at school, and I’m a huge fan
of artists like Grayson Perry, Howard
Hodgkin and David Hockney.Q
You’ve collaborated with some
exciting partners recently...William Yeoward asked me to create
four cushion designs. We decided toLIFESTYLE