Welcome to
Chai Monster Productions, the website for Linocut & Woodcut Artist, Louise
Midgley. All designs are hand carved and hand printed by myself.
I completed
my Textiles degree in 1992 at the West Surrey College of Art & Design
(WSCAD), Farnham, as it was then known. Whilst other students on my course
favoured the immediacy and reliability of screen-printing and chemical
dyes, I specialised in Lino printing & resist dying, using natural dyes
such as indigo. I was drawn to the slower, more considered and occasionally
repetitive process, resulting in a less predictable yet more “Arts &
Crafts” effect. My career thus started as a freelance Textile Designer, most
notably selling to fashion retailer ‘Principles’.
After my
degree I travelled around India by way of postgraduate research into the
differing textiles of Indian States. India had a lasting impact on me, not
least for the way they continue to value traditional crafts. It was here that
my name, Chai Monster was born – but that story is too long for this page!
Since then,
I have brought up three beautiful boys and worked in a number of roles within
charity and volunteering. It’s only since 2015 that I have rediscovered my
passion for linocut, except these days I print on paper rather than fabric. Having
starved my creative soul for so many years, it is only now that I realise what
a detrimental effect it had had on my mental wellbeing. Having reignited my
passion, I have become obsessed and can never find enough time to carve all the
designs I have floating in my head!
I hope you
enjoy my website. If you would like to follow my journey with more immediacy then
please ‘follow’ me on Instagram @chai_monster_productions and 'like' me on Facebook
@ChaiMonsterProductions. You can also find me on Pinterest.
Do contact
me for any commission requests, or if you'd like me to run one of my workshops in the comfort of your home or workplace. They make a fabulous alternative to work Christmas parties, hen nights or team building days!
Nameste.