Meet The Maker: Nick Ozanne

Where did you study and was this experience a pivotal part of your creative journey?
I trained as a weaver at the Winchester School of Art and graduated with a BA (Hons) Fashion/Textiles in 1999. Although I chose weave as my area of specialist study I had not developed a real rapport with the medium and this in fact came later when I felt the pull back to being a maker when I turned 30. What I did gain at University was a way of looking at things that I do not think would have developed had I not has this experience. 

What are your main sources of inspiration?
All the work I create is very personal to me and wrapped up in experiences I have had, from my reaction to a book or even the school ties I can remember wearing as a young child as in the collection called ‘Pencil Stripe’.

Do you work with sketch books?
I tend to use notebooks and write my ideas down rather than make drawings. I have a trunk in the studio filled with these that go back for almost a decade and the only sad thing I find as a maker is that I will never have the time to develop many of these ideas into an actual piece of fabric.

How do you network and keep in touch with what is going on in the art world?
I made a conscious decision to try and participate in as many events as possible, from the Textile Trail Open studios run by SIT, to craft shows such as Origin and others around the country. I am also an Associate member with the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen and all these activities bring me into contact with not only other makers of all disciplines but also the public, and the response and interaction from this is invaluable. I also read magazines such as Selvedge, Crafts Magazine and Craft & Design.

What materials do you particularly like working with?
I love working with natural fibres, primarily silk and lambswool. They simply cannot be beaten and have served mankind well for centuries, working with the body and creating fabrics that you like to have against the skin. This is an important factor in my work as every piece I make is meant to be used and touched.

How has your work developed and changed in recent years?
Since the launch of my studio label ‘Leto & Ariadne’ I find that my confidence in my design ability has grown and this is reflected in my work. I also seem to have developed a recognizable style in the way I combine colour and pattern in my pieces. 

Where do you work? Do you have a studio or a particular place where you work?
I have a studio in part of an old mill building on the outskirts of Stroud which is quite a change from when I started weaving in London and the loom sat at the end of my bed in a cramped basement flat. The sheer joy of having a workspace can never be underestimated and I find that I could be there all hours of the day and night quite happily with my looms and the coffee machine. 

How do you see your work developing? I understand you are taking part in Origin this year – what do you see as the advantages of this?
I am now designing new products for the interiors side of my label, primarily blankets and cushions, some of which I will be showing at Origin for the first time this year. To be accepted for Origin is a huge advantage as it is generally recognized as being one of the main UK shows and this promotes my work to a much wider audience. To be a designer maker you also have to be a business person and always be thinking about promotion and getting your product out there to be seen. 

What are your future plans and any partnerships in the pipeline?
For the rest of 2011 I will be exhibiting around the country right up to Christmas. In the New Year I am planning to set some time aside to work on developing new designs. I would like to try combining an element of printing onto fabrics that I have woven specifically for this, perhaps to add to my new ranges of interior accessories. In terms of partnerships I have none in mind at the moment but I am open to offers!
To purchase and see Nick’s work go to :
www.letoariadne.com
Origin Contemporary Craft Fair 22 – 28 September Old Spitalfields Market London E1

Nick Ozanne
August 2011