Textile Design graduate from Leeds Arts University Corinne uses colour to capture positive emotions within her designs. Her intuitive response to colour and pattern drew the attention of the judges who spotted her as One to Watch for 2020. Find out more about Corinne and her highly individual approach to colour in design.
"I am a printed textile designer with a passion for colour and lively print. Pattern for positivity is a central belief that runs throughout all my work with my designs aiming to evoke feelings of optimism. I aim to create timeless prints that are bold, statement pieces adding colour and excitement to people’s lives."
How do you feel about being spotted by the judges as a One to Watch – what does it mean to you?
I was over the moon to find out I had been shortlisted for the award and to even get to the interview stages was a massive achievement to me, so to be chosen as a One to Watch was something I was incredibly proud of. After all of the hard work that went into my project it was amazing to be spotted by the judges who are all people that I look up to in the industry.
How important is colour in your work and how do you choose and narrow down colours?
Colour is something that hugely drives my practice as a print designer as I think it is so important in creating certain moods and emotional responses within designs. I am usually very experimental with my use of colour and I do lots of testing and sampling in order to narrow down colours. I am very personal and intuitive with the colours I choose as I find that experimenting with colours allows for interesting and unexpected results.
What is your main source of inspiration?
I get a lot of my inspiration from my surroundings as I find that becoming more in touch with what is around me helps me to be more creative. I love becoming aware of things in my every day that usually go unnoticed and translating this into uplifting designs.
What makes you happiest/most fulfilled in your creative process?
The thing that makes me most fulfilled in my creative process is seeing the final results of a project after so much exploration, sampling and testing and being happy with the outcome. Most projects for my have many ups and downs and there are times when everything seems to be going wrong and times when things start to go right, so after long processes of experimentation it is always so exciting seeing the end result knowing the love and thought that has gone into it.
What are you working on now?
I have recently just started my masters at Nottingham Trent University in Textile Design Innovation, and I am really excited to get printing again. I am also running a small business on the side whilst I study my masters, through selling products on Etsy.
Where do you want to be in 3 years’ time?
In 3 years’ time I would love to have my own business as a printed textile designer in my own little studio somewhere. Working for myself has always been my end goal as I just love being creative and exploring print, colour and pattern in so many ways and to have my own brand would be amazing.
Creative high point?
It is hard to pick a high point as there are two that made me so proud. Graduating from my Undergraduate Degree in Textile Design with a First Class Honours and being chosen as a One to Watch for the Colour in Design Award were both massive high points for me.
Creative low point?
A creative low point was probably during my Foundation Degree in Art and Design. I was very unsure of what I wanted to do at this point and I really struggled to find my style and as a result I compared myself a lot to other people around me. It wasn't until the end of that year that I started to fall in love with print which led me to my degree, so I am thankful that I went through that to ultimately find something that I love.
Is there someone special who has really made a difference to your creative journey?
I can’t really pick one person in particular but throughout everything I have done during my studies my family and boyfriend have always been so encouraging and supportive. This has really made a difference to me as they have always picked me back up and made my believe in myself when I had low points and was struggling. This has made me realise how important a great support network of people can be as it has definitely helped me.
What is your favourite colour?
It is so hard to pick! But if I had to pick one colour as my favourite I would say Lilac as it is a gentle and soothing colour to me but also always makes me feel uplifted.
Image credits: Corinne Snell
corinnesnelldesign@gmail.com
Instagram: @corinnesnelldesign
ArtsThread Portfolio: https://www.artsthread.com/profile/corinnesnell/