Makers at the Mill
Kate Thornton Design
Kate Thornton is a British artist specialising in greetings cards and prints. Kate’s current work takes inspiration from her interest in natural history with a particular focus on British birds.
“I’m drawn to shapes and outlines in nature, taking elements from these contexts to create designs that have bold images and silhouettes at their heart. There’s a connection made between people, place and natural landscapes in the use of old maps which interests me.”
Kate works in paper-cut, drawing, printmaking and digital design to produce print and stationery collections.
Kate studied at Leeds College of Art and Design before completing a fine art degree at Nottingham Trent University in 2005. She works from her studio in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
Have a natter with the maker
whilst browsing the stall...
How did you get into paper-cutting?
Hmm, I've always worked very two dimensionally so paper has been a constant companion. I started playing around with old materials such as postcards and maps many years ago, I enjoyed the simplicity and familiarity of a silhouette combined with the complexity and intrigue of borrowed materials. I inherited most of my maps and postcards from my grandpa. I love that connection with the past, place, people and landscape. These days I don't do so much paper cutting. When I get the time I love working in print, especially lino.
Where did your love of birds originate?
My Dad. He sometimes used to stop the car very abruptly to get his binoculars on something. I guess it filtered in from an early age and I
used to like looking through the well thumbed pages of his birds books. It wasn't really until I spent time in New Zealand and experienced the native birds there and the fragility of their conservation that my own interest developed.
Describe your aesthetic in five words:
Clean, Graphic, Bold, Simple, Birdy
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Bird books and photographs, I'm quite interested in interiors and architecture too so I take some colour inspiration from interiors and form, line, shapes from architecture. If I'm looking for texture inspiration I often look to nature. I was really inspired by a textile exhibition at the Whitworth a few years back of Tibor Reich and his idea of Fotexur. Look it up!
What do you love to do when you’re not creating?
Growing things, I'm really interested in plants. I've also been practicing Iyengar Yoga for about 10 years and it's a big part of my life. Also I do like knitting but I don't get so much time these days as I have a young daughter. I bought a sewing machine a long time ago, one day I'm going to learn how to really use it!