Sonja Burniston is a 2024 Rising Star Award winner, and the creative talent behind the Printing Charity’s 2024 Christmas card design.
We caught up with her to hear about her career to date, and how her Rising Star Award has supported her.
My career to date
“My work is split into two parts. The first is teaching traditional print-making techniques at evening and weekend workshops for adults, as part of the Blueroll Press, a print making duo. My business partner, Luke, is also a Rising Star Award winner! His award funded a tabletop press to start running print-making workshops, so it was through a Rising Star investment that this business began.
“The second part of my career is creating art through print-making and illustration. This includes murals, most recently for a food charity called the MAZI Project in Bristol, who are a youth-led charity empowering disadvantaged 16-25 year olds through food.”
How I got into a creative career
“My career development has been about meeting people, learning from them, and slowly figuring out what suits. I’ve realised I like teaching and collaboration alongside creativity.
“Mural painter Dave Bain has been a mentor-like figure, and I have learnt a lot through assisting him on his murals. My love for print-making and illustrating started when I discovered the print room at university. I had thought of illustration as being a lonely career, but it’s not: I enjoyed the collaborative print room atmosphere and way of creating. I’m also excited by the way that print is applicable to the world around us.”
What I love about my career
“I can recreate the things I love most about the world, in art. I love bringing humour into my work, and I get lost in getting my characters right, even finding myself doing the facial expressions I draw my characters making. I also end up really engrossed in colour-mixing when I’m screen printing – getting the exact right shade can take a few hours.
“When I drive home after teaching a workshop with Luke, and reflecting on how it went and talking about what everyone made, there’s always a ‘fizz’ from the collective excitement of the group. I love how everyone connects with each other, and as a result create something new, and we facilitated that happening.”
What my Rising Star Award has meant for me
“I applied for a Rising Star Award for two reasons. Firstly, to make my workshops more profitable by having enough equipment to teach larger groups. Since winning, I can run workshops for larger groups, and I’ve got new lino and dry point tools for participants to use, which are tools I can look after and use for the long-term.
“Secondly, the grant funded access to Spike Island’s screen-printing facilities. This makes me prioritise my personal practice, which means I come into the workshops with my own creative pot topped up, which matters. I’m loving being back at Spike Island – it’s such a supportive place to work.”
Thinking of applying?
“There’s no reason not to apply. Even if you don’t win this year, the time spent applying is hugely valuable. It’s a time to reflect, consider where you are in your career, and why you want to get the funding for the training, development or opportunities you’re applying for.”
2025’s Rising Star Awards will open in Spring 2025. Interested in finding out more? Subscribe to our newsletter to be first to hear when applications open, and follow us on social media for access to application webinars and top tips.