Meet the Artist: Rosanna Reade
26 Sep 2024
Meet Rosanna Reade, the talented illustrator behind our autumn postcard, which you’ll find tucked lovingly into every one of our parcels this season. Known for her delicate linocut prints and thoughtful storytelling, Rosanna shares her journey into illustration, her creative process, and how Edinburgh’s enchanting charm finds its way into her work.
What initially drew you to the world of illustration, and how did you develop your unique style over time?
As with most things, I think it probably started in childhood! My brothers and I were constantly reading illustrated books, comics, and drawing our own cartoons. I was an avid reader, so I particularly loved the combination of story and image. My favourite books were Marcia Williams’ illustrated "Robin Hood" and Greek mythology books, as well as "This Old House" by Leo Hartas, where you could watch tiny people move about their house throughout the day through his beautiful illustrations.
In terms of my style, an element of simplicity is important to me. I studied History of Art at university, and I was drawn to Aubrey Beardsley, as well as Japanese and Chinese art, because of the use of graphic lines and elegant negative space. I think linocut prints also have a distinctive style native to the medium, and that has definitely informed my drawing style as well.
I think I’m building an imaginary world where all of my characters and rooms exist. It can feel a bit like furnishing a room; sometimes an object will catch my attention, and I might then consider who owns that item, what the rest of their house might look like, and what other objects they would own, with the narrative built around that. Alternatively, I might observe someone in a café or a gallery, imagine their character, where they might live, and what kind of things they might like.
I tend to keep my characters separate from the rooms because I like to leave something to the viewer's imagination. I think that’s what creates the sense of familiarity people enjoy, without being too specific. It’s not a hard process for me; I’m often daydreaming and observing, and it just happens naturally!
What I love about lino cutting is that you don’t see the final outcome until the end. It always feels a bit magical to pull the paper off the block. I also love the physical process of drawing and carving on the block; there’s something extremely meditative about it and almost sculptural, using chisels and cutters.
I am self-taught, so I’m aware that I may not do things in the most traditional way, as printmaking can be quite particular! But I do what feels natural and works for me. I’m often asked why I don’t just draw or paint my illustrations, as it takes much more time to do it in lino. But I love the process, the graphic style of lino, and the inevitable mistakes and marks that can’t be undone. I’m quite forgiving of them, as I think they’re a part of the process and are what make it handmade and different from a digital illustration.
I love Edinburgh; it always feels a bit magical to me. Every corner has a new vista with layers of foreground and distance. You can turn a corner and suddenly see an old cobbled street with a mountain behind it and the sea beyond that. In winter, when you walk down the street and the lights are on inside people’s homes, the huge windows always tempt me to peer in and see what they have on their walls and to imagine who lives there!
I’m a countryside person at heart, and I’m never happier than when in the mountains or by the sea. But I find I don’t enjoy creating landscapes in my work. Instead, I’m interested in illustrating the creatures that live there, the people who love it, the lifestyle, and its significance in my own life. My "Ten Past Ten" print is an example of this—it was an indoor scene but filled with objects that accompany a life spent outdoors.
Lately, I’ve been very interested in the sea, fish, seaweed, and coral, and I’m planning some underwater prints this winter.
It was a pleasure working with you on our autumn postcard. Can you share how the piece came together and what story you were trying to tell with it?
When Rowen & Wren contacted me, I was very excited because it felt like a really natural collaboration. I was particularly drawn to the kitchen table scene and the brightly coloured vegetables, as I could imagine the person who lived there and who had grown and arranged these vegetables in the beautiful vases and bowls. It’s a scene that focuses on the beauty of everyday objects.
I played around with whether to create it as a reduction linocut print (layers of different coloured ink) or as a flat image with areas of colour. I eventually chose the reduction method because I particularly loved the integration and blending of pink and green. Colour is really important to me, and I loved the palette from the autumn collection.
I hope that when people see it, they view it as a fragment of a larger scene and might think about what the rest of the room looks like.
And finally, what are you most looking forward to with the approaching autumn season?
Quite a few things!
Being able to pull out my favourite woolly jumpers—I love winter clothing; big coats, jumpers, boots, and scarves. Though, living in Edinburgh, they never really get put away for the summer.
Aesthetically, I also love autumn and winter light—the low sun and beautiful shadows. In my opinion, Edinburgh is at its best in autumn and winter; everything feels cosy, and it suits the city.
Lastly, I’ve had a pretty busy summer, and I’m really looking forward to spending more time in the studio and working on some prints I’ve had in mind for a while now.
Rosanna’s delightful postcard is tucked inside each parcel we send out throughout the coming season. To explore our Autumn Collection, please click here. To see more of Rosanna’s work, you can click here.
