Naomi Seaward

I am a Textile Designer, focusing on pattern and print. I studied Surface Pattern & Textiles at Swansea College of Art UWTSD and discovered my passion for Home & Interior Print whilst learning and developing my skills. I have learnt how to screen print throughout my time studying my degree, and have been developing my practice for 5 years, continually learning new techniques and processes.

Q&A

Artist statement

I am a Surface Pattern Designer who is passionate about storytelling and sharing narrative through my craft, illustrating prints inspired by Natural History, Nature and Mythology to bring together our Natural world and our Interior spaces. I work predominantly with Textiles, hand rendering imagery to utilise in modern digital print and traditional screen printing practice to bring my designs to life. I have a diverse skillset and proficiency with a range of equipment, extending out to Laser cutting & most recently UV Printing, combining modern and traditional design through analogue and digital practice. I am a constant seeker of improvement and new knowledge, learning new techniques and processes that I can combine with my skills and then share with others. I enjoy sharing my practice with others, and collaborating with other artists and designers for new experiences.

What craft do you work with?

I am a Textile Designer, focusing on pattern and print. I studied Surface Pattern & Textiles at Swansea College of Art UWTSD and discovered my passion for Home & Interior Print whilst learning and developing my skills. I have learnt how to screenprint throughout my time studying my degree, and have been developing my practice for 5 years, continually learning new techniques and processes.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

I love to transform my illustrations into screen compatible imagery, experimenting with traditional and digital technique, combining all that we have learnt in the past and incorporating the brilliant new technologies we now have access to as artists and designers. My work is created for the home, and I am passionate about beautiful, naturally inspired designs that allow the curator to tell a narrative about themselves through their designed home environment, through cushions, curtains, upholstery or their home décor. A design comes to life when it is adapted for textiles, the format of the repeated pattern or the quality of line is changed whether it is printed onto a thick cotton or a plush velvet, the colours may be very saturated or more subtle, and they can be worked back into with further processes whether that is adding colours, burning out fibers or embellishing. I work across a diverse range of materials, many different textiles but also hard surfaces such as wood and glass.

How do you start your creative process?

My creative process is always rooted in research, moodboards, colour palettes and live studies of concepts I am interested in exploring. I thoroughly enjoy this beginning stage of developing the idea into a fully fledged collection or series of designs, each with their own unique story. From here I develop a series of sketches to inform my design process, refining and selecting from these to form the basis of the design. This is often the longest element of the process, ensuring the elements are perfect, and really creating a wealth of motif to draw from.

From here, the designs are adapted for the technique I’ll be using. For screen-printing, I will alternate between hand rendering imagery with screen paper and inks, utilising contact paper to experimentally cut shape and form, or taking motif digitally to enhance and play. Hand illustrated designs will be digitally altered for techniques such as Laser cutting or Rastering, and this allows for easy manipulation and experimentation.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

I am very grateful to be able to continue my practice Post-Graduation as an Artist in Residence for Swansea College of Art, so my workspace was within the Surface Pattern & Textile Department. They have a wealth of equipment available for use, and a well established dyelab and screenprinting studio, which has made experimentation between all of these areas very immediate. I have been developing a home studio, which is equipped with everything I need to illustrate and digitally design, and I am working on a small scale screenprinting setup to continue my practice.

What have you learnt or the best advice you have received that you would like to share with fellow crafters?

The best advice I have ever had was to ‘Design through the Making’, learning to enjoy the making and experimenting phase of development and not being too focused on the final outcome. This way of thinking allows for happy accidents, and can take you to new places when exploring your craft. I also believe in taking all opportunities that may come your way, even if they are not exactly catered for you or your practice, you can often learn invaluable things from these experiences.

What professional dream do you have?

Professionally, I would love to pursue bespoke design services for higher end clients with my Home Collections, particularly Wallpaper and Upholstery Textiles. My design style lends itself to the fantastical and eccentric, so I’d love to work on something truly unique to a specific client.