Celebrating the English countryside, Beki Bright’s textiles are inspired by her time growing up in Suffolk and, more recently, living in Somerset. David spent the day with Beki at Ivo Textiles in West London, documenting her Apple Pickers, Suffolk Corn, and The Plough designs being screen-printed by hand.
David: What interests you in the heritage rituals of the countryside?
Beki: My childhood has had a huge influence on who I am today and what interests me. I grew up in the Suffolk countryside, not far from my Grandad’s farm. He bred Suffolk Punch horses, and as a child, I was surrounded by these beautiful animals. I was often told they weren’t meant for riding, but for work, and that sparked something inside me; a curiosity that led me to learn more. This was the beginning of what has now turned into a bit of an obsession.
David: Your work is very personal, coming from where you have lived and your family history. How do you think your clients and customers connect to your designs?
Beki: I think it’s really meaningful when people form connections with the items in their homes. It gives a sense of permanence and makes a house feel more lived in. With Apple Pickers, my customers often tell me that it reminds them of where they grew up and that they’d love to have that memory in their home. These reminders help create a sense of place, which I think is really important. I love that my work helps them feel connected to their past, or even to their present. I’m so happy that my designs speak to people and evoke these kinds of connections and memories.
David: What does your research process look like?
Beki: I’m a research magpie, always collecting inspiration. For each of my designs, I do extensive research and end up with folders filled with imagery that I’ve gathered. For example, with Apple Pickers, I looked at a lot of Toile de Jouy textiles (the French pastoral landscapes featuring people) and harvest etchings. One specific image that inspired me was an etching of a harvest celebration, where people were holding hands, dancing around a plough carriage with a large corn doll on top. I loved the way they were dancing, so I decided to reimagine it and make it my own. I enjoy taking elements from different sources and adding my own twist to them.
David: I really like your choice of colours. Even though they are quite different, they all go really well together. How do you choose which colours to use?
Beki: I used to work as a dyer and screen printer for film and theatre, where I spent a lot of time colour matching and working with dyes in a very precise way. This experience has left me with a good understanding of how to mix colours. When I’m in the print room sampling a new collection, I focus on how to layer colours effectively and love how overlapping two colours creates a third shade. This technique brings more depth into my designs and allows me to make the most out of my artwork.
David: Is that where you’re creating colour by blending two colours to make another?
Beki: Yes, although Apple Pickers is slightly different. It’s tonal and uses two colours that sit alongside each other; the first being the dominant main colour and the second, a lightened version. With my other designs, such as The Plough, I use the overlapping technique.
David: Where did you get the idea for Suffolk Corn?
Beki: I inherited a beautiful collection of corn dolls from my Grandad, which are some of my most treasured items. Whilst doing my MA, I thought it would be interesting to use them within a design. I loved the idea of elevating the craft, through incorporating them into one of my designs, I hoped to widen the appeal and give corn dolls a new audience.
David: Your prints seem to hark back to a lost way of life, does nostalgia inspire you?
Beki: There is definitely a nostalgic influence in my work. The landscapes I am drawn to feel very romantic. I love how the English countryside captures the heart of so many people, and I try to recreate this feeling within my designs. I am naturally inspired by older artists and textiles, and I really love the work of English 20th-century artists Eric Ravilious, Edward Bawden, and Vanessa Bell. They all have ties to the decorative arts, crossing the boundaries between art and design using the countryside as inspiration. They have inspired me to tell my story through pattern and colour.
David: Can you talk me through your process of choosing a design?
Beki: My initial starting point for any of my designs begins with lots of primary research, drawings, photographs, rubbings, etc. When I am back in the studio, I take my favourite pieces and start to think about how I could use them in my patterns. I’m normally working on 5 or 6 designs at a time, and each design may be in progress for a few years! As each one develops, I decide on what to launch. I love to create landscape and decorative designs, so I try to have one of each in every collection. I also work on bespoke projects, creating landscape prints for private clients, so these designs choose me!
David: How do you know when a design is finished?
Beki: Commissions are different because I am working to a client’s timeline. But with my personal designs, after a year of working on them they come to a natural conclusion.
David: Where are your favourite landscapes in the UK?
Beki: I love the wildness of the Cornish landscape, the mixture of rolling hills and the sea is beautiful! Back in 2016, I lived in Somerset, and I found the Levels such an inspiring place to be. The flatness of the landscape made you feel like you had infinite space.
David: What do you enjoy about working with Ivo?
Beki: I used to screen print the fabric myself, but as my business grew, it became too much for me. Knowing I can hand over my designs to such amazing printers at Ivo Textiles is such a relief for me. It’s so impressive seeing the printers work; they have such skill! I love working with such a great team.
