Meet the Maker: Jessie de Salis
I am Jessie de Salis. I run a screen printing textile business with my cousin, Alice. We print colourful patterned fabrics from a Somerset barn, a space we share with the sparrows and house-martins.
What inspires you?
I love bold and bright design. I always seem to come back to the Bauhaus artists - their work and ethos never stops being fresh, contemporary and relevant. Also, flowers, grasses, trees and animals… the natural world is a constant source of inspiration. You just have to look out your window and you have a pattern.
How and where did you learn to screen print?
During lockdown, I moved down to Cornwall to live with my partner and his family. They are a family of artists and had a few screens gathering dust in their attic. As soon as I started screen printing, I realised: “This is me now. I am a screen printer”. I have been screen printing ever since.
Why printmaking?
Because it’s beautiful, it’s local and it’s hand made. Screen printed fabrics are imperfect, unique and each separate piece tells its own story. Treading lightly on the earth is at the heart of our process. Our fabrics are sourced from a European mill powered by green energy. Our dyes are hand mixed and water based. Screen printing allows us to oversee the whole print process.
Describe a typical day in your studio.
Every day is different. Alice and I try to work with the seasons which means long print days in summer when the light is good. Print days are a joy. It's amazing to see a 10m fabric print coming alive in front of your eyes.
What is your favourite product
I always try to work with natural materials, linens, organic cottons and biological inks. I have started playing around with doing experiments on paper and it's such a joy to print on the Japanese Awagami Shikishi papers. They are hand made so the texture of the paper holds ink in such a lovely way.
From our own products, I love our Papyrus design, geometric stripes composed of organic shapes. It was created through looking at patterns of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
What have you made that you are most proud of?
Our favourite commission was for a bird loving family. The design was a bespoke Tree of Life filled with birds, flowers and fruit for their bedroom curtains. I drew the whole thing out onto paper and printed it bit by bit, every hoopoe and pomegranate. I really enjoyed having them involved in the design process and seeing the tree evolve. I especially like the distinct colours and shapes of the hoopoe.
Where can we see your work? Where do you sell?
Mainly through our website: www.jessiedesalis.com. We have recently started selling through a company called Haines as one of their eco designers. We sell through interior designers, on some independent homeware online stores, some shops and hotels.
What will we be seeing from you next?
Alice and I plan to start printing and experimenting with natural dye pigments from foraged flowers. We hope to create a collection of fabrics that are hand printed with plant dyes.
Do you have any advice for other printmakers and creatives?
For us, setting up a print business has been tough at times. But it’s so worth doing what you love. I think it's important to be who you are, do what you like, and be proud of yourself. You will never please everyone, so don’t try. Starting anything from scratch is scary, as is putting your work out into the world for people to judge. Remember that every creative, whatever their level of success, goes through this everyday. It’s what it is to be an artist.
Follow Jessie on Instagram or visit her website to find out more about her work or to order some of her beautiful fabrics.