Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 112
blue cornflowers. On rainy days, Isla pores over
one of her William Morris books for inspiration, or
retreats to the polytunnel in the vegetable garden she
shares with Ambrose’s mother, to capture the fleshy
new unfurlings.
“I look for flowers with strong, interesting shapes
and plenty of texture because these translate best
onto a lino block,” she says. With tall stems and
distinctive large flowers, Isla finds foxgloves and
sunflowers among the most satisfying to carve, along
with elderflowers, bilberries, and wild strawberries.
A favourite technique is to add tiny dashes around
the flowers to create dynamic scenes and a sense of
flowing movement. “I love to capture the life and
energy of plants,” she explains.
Born in Herefordshire into a large, lively and
creative family, a career in craft felt like a natural
step for Isla. Both her parents attended art college
and maintained an active interest in their crafts – her
mother as an artist and her father as a weaver. “My
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mother always encouraged us to be creative,” recalls
Isla, who grew up with six siblings, including a brother
who is a poet and two sisters who are musicians.
Another sister, Bryony, is a gardener, and together,
they create an annual vegetable-growing calendar.
“We grew up in the countryside, with a lovely garden
and orchard, and were right next to woods, so being in
nature has always been important to me,” she says.
After graduating in Textile Arts from Falmouth
University in Cornwall in 2017, Isla’s designs caught
the attention of home furnishing brands Zoffany and
Sanderson, as well as clothing company White Stuff.
She worked with them as a freelance designer for over
a year, but soon she began craving the opportunity to
develop her own products. In 2018, she moved to the
artsy town of Totnes, and shortly after, met and moved
in with Ambrose – her “partner in craft” – and began
establishing herself as a printmaker.
“The craft appealed to me because it’s a really
accessible skill that you can do at home,” she says.
The Printmaker • Isla Middleton
