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MEET THE DESIGNER: CLARE JENKINSON

From Clare’s Sketchpad To Your Floor

Design is an integral part of our success at Ulster Carpets and we are proud that our carpet designers are also artists in their own right.

Clare Jenkinson, one of our Residential Designers, not only loves drawing and painting but she also teaches her own art class every week!

“I’ve been teaching art for around 10 years,” she explained. “It started by chance when a friend needed someone to teach an art club for primary school children and it has grown from there.”

Clare now takes her own classes for adults at Voyage Art Galleries in Devon and teaches a range of different abilities.

Designer, Clare Jenkison teaching an art class
Clare, teaching at Voyage Art Galleries in Devon.

“There’s a real mix of people from all walks of life and I love how they are all connected through art. There’s been a lot of focus on mental health in recent years and I think art can make a real difference to people’s wellbeing.”

Believing that art is “good for the soul”, Clare always makes sure she has something with her to sketch or draw on.

“You never know when you are going to be inspired. I live in Teignmouth in Devon and I’m so lucky to be surrounded by so much natural beauty. When I’m out for a walk, I will happily sit and sketch and I normally have a watercolours palette and a bottle of water with me as well.”

These sketches and paintings then become Clare’s library of ideas and she regularly turns to them for inspiration on our latest carpet designs.

Artwork and sketches by designer, Clare  Jenkinson
Some of Clare’s amazing sketches and artwork.

“You can find inspiration anywhere and the colours and textures all around us definitely influence my work with Ulster Carpets. Our Watercolours range is probably my favourite example of this – I love painting with watercolours and to be able to translate that style into a complete carpet collection was a lot of fun.

“We added some new colourways last year and I really enjoyed going back to his collection and updating it with some fresh new colours.”

Clare, who works alongside our other Residential Designer, Calvin Pope, continues to be busy working on some new colourways and designs for our Ulster ranges.

“We’re always trying to think ahead and predict incoming trends. It is a challenge but being able to use what you love doing outside of work makes it a lot more interesting. When we have different ideas I know I’ll be able to flick through my sketchbooks to find a colour or a style that will work.”

You will be able to see Clare and Calvin’s artistic influences in our new Plaids and Open Spaces collections that will launch in 2022.

Take a look at some of Clare’s carpet creations on our website and see more of her work as an artist on Instagram or on her personal website.