Linda Florence is a print designer, originally from Motherwell and now based in London. She trained in textile design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and then went on to study for a Masters in Textile Futures at Central Saint Martins. She now produces bespoke hand printed wallpaper and installation artwork for public, commercial and private interiors including clients such as Arts Council England, Habitat, the NHS, Swarovski, Ted Baker and the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Linda took part in the 2013 residency programme at Cove Park. Her works are often driven by narratives and her intention for the residency was to explore cultural references to textile and pattern design within homes, looking at how the action of making connects people with particular reference to a story about tenement cleaning and decorating in Paisley from the early part of the 20th Century. Thinking back to her time at Cove Park Linda recalls:
‘I applied to Cove Park as I spend a lot of my current practice responding to briefs and I wanted time to develop a personal project about Glasgow. The beautiful remote location gave me the chance to reflect on my practice and step away from the demands of the everyday. The residency gave me the opportunity to focus on making new work, to take risks, and to explore new possibilities without worrying about defining the outcomes. It was the rare chance to walk, think, reflect and take time to develop ideas. It was a precious time and one I greatly value.’
Incorporating a mixture of traditional and new technologies including silk screen-printing, ceramic printing and laser cutting, Linda produces beautiful and engaging works often as the result of working directly with community groups, schools or hospitals and inspired by the historic and social context of a particular site or situation. Drawing on this wealth of experience Linda returned to Cove Park in September 2017 to work on an Artists in Schools residency project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. She is working with Rosneath Primary School, creating a project with a P6/7 class to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the school.
As well as industry and outreach experience, Linda is now a design researcher, lecturer and consultant. She divides her working life between Central Saint Martins where she is a senior lecturer and her design practice.