My mum is an artist and studied surface pattern design at university, so I grew up around her experimenting with lots of different art forms and techniques. She was always making patterns, working with different materials and exploring methods like lino printing and screen printing as part of her practice. I think seeing her work with lino was probably my first introduction to it, and it was something that always stuck with me. When I started experimenting with it myself at around 19, it felt like a natural thing to be drawn to, having grown up around that kind of creativity. I never really expected it to develop into LODE, but it's lovely to think that my introduction to printmaking started at home.

I find a lot of inspiration in ordinary things. I’m drawn to objects that might otherwise go unnoticed — things you find in the kitchen, little details in nature, old illustrations or something with an interesting shape. I like the idea of taking something familiar and giving it a new life as a print. I don’t think everything needs to be grand or meaningful to be worth making art about. I find that the process of turning things we may consider 'mundane' into art, has helped me notice appreciate the little things around me.

I was actually in a creative rut just before I designed my horse print! I often find it tricky to think up new designs, and that there's pressure to create something completely new. However, I try to remind myself that it is in fact the simple things that bring us joy. That being said, I was walking my dog, Noa, and let her loose to run on the field near my house. There's not many things that bring me as much joy as just watching her go full gallop across the long grass, the rythm of her legs and body as she glides across the ground. I'd previously made a print dedicated to this small moment aptly named 'Noa's run', but wanted to create another print along the same lines with a focus on a single 'frame' of movement. This led me to designing 'The Jumping Horse'. I printed one as the horse silhouette alone, but wanted to add just a little something special so carved in the star. I wanted to capture a fleeting moment of movement, while leaving enough to the imagination for the viewer to almost feel the rhythm of the horse’s gallop continuing beyond the frame.

I find the carving process almost therapeutic, slowly carving away the lino and watching the design emerge. I love that you can reproduce the same image multiple times, but each print is still entirely unique thanks to the hand-printing process and the tiny quirks and differences in each one. Nothing beats the moment of peeling back the paper and seeing the ink take perfectly to the surface. It’s always exciting, even when you’ve printed the same design hundreds of times.

I think I’d have to say my favourite is my Homegrown Tomatoes print, which was based directly on a tomato grown by my dad. It’s one of my earliest designs, and I must have printed it hundreds of times by now, but I still love seeing that burst of vibrant red against the deep green leaves every time I pull a print from the block. I think it comes back to my appreciation for simple, everyday things. Something as ordinary as a tomato can hold so much meaning, becoming a little symbol of home, family and the simple pleasures of everyday life.