Sara Norwood creates wall art, cushions and accessories. Her work blurs the boundaries between textile design and illustration. Here is the recipe for her particular style:
- A teaspoon of narrative
- A dash of novelty
- A pinch of interactiveness
- A small portion of humour
- A tablespoon of imagination
- A large tablespoon of fun
Sara’s ethos is to create art and articles in the most eco friendly ways as possible and inject them with humour and imagination. Having always been fascinated by animals they regularly appear in Sara’s work, as do street scenes, often of Brighton and sometimes the two combine to tell a story.
I really love the fact that Sara uses vintage fabrics as the backing for her cushions!
‘My work is inspired essentially by everything around me’ explains Sara ‘I am a bit of a big kid and love anything a bit magical or off-beat’. She tells me fairytales and folktales often inspire her as well as graphics and illustration. ‘I love the imagery of 1970′s craftbooks, as well as funky vintage fabrics and Scandinavian textile design. I am also a huge fan of Japanese craft, design and Kawaii culture’.
Before settling on textiles Sara turned her hand to varied creative pursuits – from graphic design to pottery (!) but drawing has always been her main passion. She holds a first class honours degree in Surface and Textile Design and is a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen, a prestigious association for designer-makers founded in 1887 by William Morris and Walter Crane.
Originally from London Sara moved to Brighton with her family when she was 12 ‘I love Brighton’s laid back quirky atmosphere’ says Sara ‘and the fact that there are all walks of life here. You never know what you’re going to see next, you can be walking along the road and see someone dressed up as an enormous white rabbit and not even turn your head…..in this way, living in Brighton very much inspires my work!’
Sara’s work can be viewed and purchased via her website www.saranorwood.co.uk, at Pebbles Homestyle & Gift Store, 86 High Street, Rottingdean and Pardon My French!, 15 St George’s Road, Kemp Town. She is happy to undertake commissions – perhaps you would like a personalised accessory or art piece, incorporating your pet or street into a design…..
By Helen Ruff
