An interview with maker Rosanna Morris as part of our 'Get to Know...' series.
Tell us a little about yourself and your business…
I’m Rosanna Morris, a printmaker and illustrator based in Bristol. My work focuses on relief printmaking, particularly linocut and woodcut, often exploring botanical forms and our human connection with land and place. Alongside selling prints, I run courses, teach at art schools, and send out monthly prints to my Patreon community. I also recently published my first book, Botanical Block Print, which is a practical and beautiful guide to printmaking with plants.
Where are you based?
East Bristol in Mivart studios.
Tell us a secret about you?
I’m severely dyslexic and was told I’d never amount to much or be able to write properly- so writing and publishing my first book last year felt quietly mega for me.
How do you make your work?
Everything starts outside. I draw from life, plants I’ve foraged, things growing in my allotment and from resources, old postcards, photography books that I collect. I use traditional tools, lino, wood, carving tools, ink and rollers. I print on handmade raw papers, organic cotton, linen and even wood. I make many of my inks from earth pigments I gather myself. The process is physical, repetitive, manual and slow—something I love about it.
Describe your studio…
My studio is full of plants, blocks in progress, drying prints, and cups of cold tea. It’s on the top floor of an old warehouse, with huge windows that let in beautiful light. It’s a working space, messy and alive, full of all the things i've collected over the years.
Tell us about your materials - where do you source them from and are they important to you?
I try to use sustainable, recycled or found materials wherever possible. I forage pigments, reuse old flooring lino, and choose natural fibres like cotton and hemp for fabric printing. It’s about reducing waste, yes- but also about connecting my work to place, to the land it’s made on.
Why is it important to you that your work is made as responsibly and sustainably as possible?
Because we only get one planet, and one childhood- and I want my children to inherit a world that’s cared for. Making responsibly is part of that. Also, I think the act of making something slowly, thoughtfully, and by hand is itself a kind of protest against mass production and disposability.
How and why did you start your small business?
Honestly, out of necessity. I make art as a way of expressing myself, it's a cathartic exercise and I knew if I wanted to carry on having time for that it needed to bring me an income. I was a young mum living in East Bristol, making prints at the kitchen table during naptimes. Over time, I started selling at markets and online, then teaching workshops, then building a studio with friends. It’s been a slow build, shaped around motherhood and creativity.
Any fun facts about your business, or achievements you want to shout about?
I send prints out each month to supporters around the world through Patreon, which still feels a bit magical. And my printmaking courses often sell out within hours, which is humbling and heartening all at once.
What do you love most about your small business and do you have a favourite piece of work?
I love the freedom. The fact I can shape my days around my kids and my creativity. My favourite piece changes often, but right now it’s a print called Breathe- a piece about the inhale of motherhood, made as my youngest begins to grow up and move out of babyhood.
What do you think are the benefits of people supporting independent business?
There’s real magic in buying something made by a human with a story. You’re supporting someone’s dream, and in return getting something crafted with care. Local shops are often run by people who genuinely love what they sell, and that care comes through in every detail. Ive been stocked by prior since the very beginning and it's such an honour to line their shelves amongst such brilliant company.
Tell us about your favourite purchase from a fellow maker. What is it and who made it?
Two hand-thrown mug's from the village pottery that my partner brought me a few years ago from the cabot circus Prior shop. They are hefty solid mugs, big enough for a decent pint of coffee in the morning and solid enough that my wild kids can't knock them over. I drink from them every single morning and they truly bring a bit of beauty to even the most miserable days.
What are your favourite things about PRIOR - both as a customer and a supplier?
The sense of community. As a maker, it’s rare to find stockists who genuinely care about your work and who go the extra mile to champion small businesses. As a customer, I always leave inspired- it’s beautifully curated and full of things you won’t find anywhere else.
Do you have a goal for where you’d love your business to be in the future?
I'd love to keep growing slowly and meaningfully—more books, more teaching, maybe even a residency or dedicated rural studio space one day. But most of all, I want to keep making work that feels connected, honest, and rooted in the seasons and soil.
View Rosanna's handmade collection at Prior Shop here.
