30th July 2024
Interview with Ella Flavell
Following the launch of our new Adigraf Block Printing collection last year, we are pleased to sit down with printmaker Ella Flavell, also known as Burin And Plate, an enthusiast of the Adigraf range.
Ella Flavell is a linocut printmaker based in the West Midlands. Her work is inspired by architecture and the urban environment and the many stories it can tell - both historical and personal. As a self-taught printmaker, she aims to make her work as accessible as possible, finding durable, affordable materials to create her prints.
Ella’s work has been included on the cover of Birmingham Design Magazine, in numerous online exhibitions, and in the book Carving Blocks: Printmakers and Their Stories (2024).
What inspired you to start printmaking?
Creativity has always been a way for me to deal with stress or to escape a bit from the everyday. I took up printmaking seriously during my undergraduate degree, and again during the pandemic. I find it is a very mindful exercise where I feel totally present in what I am working on - making prints of different locations also gives me the opportunity to do some armchair travelling too at a time when we were confined to our homes.
When did your love of art start? Did you always want to be a printmaker?
I have always been interested in art and art making, and my parents encouraged this by taking me to art galleries and letting me make a mess with childhood art projects! Because of this I was keen to become a full time artist, but decided instead to focus on the theory side, and I am currently a PhD researcher in Art History. Art making has informed this choice, and the two work well alongside each other - with Art History being a major influence in my work. Printmaking is still my primary passion, however, and something I have pursued more seriously in recent years.
What would be your advice for new artists just starting up?
My advice to new artists would be to take your time and enjoy experimenting - it can be a lot of pressure to be immediately proficient or to develop a ‘signature style,’ but that comes with practice and getting to know how you work best with your materials. What works for one person may not work for another, and so there’s no right or wrong! Getting to know your tools and what they can do is also important, having a good basic set of cutters for lino is an excellent place to start and can help with experimentation. Practice is also key - using scraps of lino to practice mark making can be really useful, especially if you’re unsure how to approach a block.
What is the best tip you were told early in your career?
Take your time! I’m always tempted to rush ahead because I want to see what the finished print looks like, but rushing during linocut can lead to mistakes - accidentally carving away something you didn’t mean to, or even slipping off the block and injuring yourself. Taking your time also lets you be more present with your work, and gives you space to enjoy the process in its entirety.
How has social media helped your career?
Social media has significantly helped my career. Being self taught and not having any artistic or industry contacts has meant that I have relied completely on social media to build my profile. Almost all the opportunities I have had have come from social media, from markets to commissions and even books! On another level social media has also allowed me to connect to a community of printmakers and artists, which has been so rewarding and inspiring. Connecting with others through my work has been one of the joys of sharing my prints, and hearing their stories about the places that I have created prints of is always so wonderful.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
My inspiration comes largely from places I have visited, a kind of postcard snapshot of days out, holidays, or just my day to day life. I enjoy old or unusual places and the stories they can tell, and try to reflect this in my work. Creating a sense of place is very important to me. I am also inspired by the cinema - not just making prints of favourite films, but also thinking about composition in a cinematic way - how could my print set a scene for a story, for example? A lot of my prints are inspired by my personal connection to a place as well, and the memories that place holds for me. I love sharing my prints and hearing the memories others have of these places too, it’s a wonderful way to share experiences!
What is your favourite Daler-Rowney product and why?
I love the Adigraf Block Printing ink - I’ve always been a bit anxious about introducing colour into my prints, but these water-based inks have really inspired me to experiment with multi-block printing. They mix so well and you can get a great variety in tone - they’re fast drying as well which is important when you’re adding multiple layers to a print.
What is a technique that you haven't tried yet that you would love to try & why?
I’ve always been interested in lithography - it seems like such a magical process and the results are beautiful, somewhere between a print and a drawing. It’s so different to linocut printmaking too, which is all about carving away rather than adding elements.
Explore Ella's work further here.
