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Interviews

Unbound creativity with Toni Hartill

New Zealand printmaker and mixed media artist Toni Hartill invites us into her playful world of artist's books. As we celebrate the launch of her new course Unbound, Toni shares how folding, layering, and storytelling can liberate your art from the frame. This thoughtful conversation is a joyful nudge toward process, experimentation, and creating with what you already have.

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Listen or watch on your favourite platform:

Toni Hartill - Friday Feature Artist

Host: Tara Axford

Show Notes

New Zealand printmaker and mixed media artist Toni Hartill invites us into her playful world of artist books. As we celebrate the launch of her new course Unbound, Toni shares how folding, layering, and storytelling can liberate your art from the frame. This thoughtful conversation is a joyful nudge toward process, experimentation, and creating with what you already have.

You don't have to have a whole concept or solid idea as a starting point… Just playing with materials and seeing what evolves next – before you know it, you've got six projects on the go and a hell of a mess, but you're having a ball.
- Toni Hartill


Takeaways from this episode


  • Embrace play over perfection.
    Toni shares how letting go of perfectionism transformed her creative practice, leading to more spontaneity, joy, and unexpected results.

  • Artist books as a legitimate art form.
    Through folding, layering, and storytelling, artist's books become personal, tactile experiences that invite audience participation and deeper engagement.

  • Start with what you already have.
    Scraps, off-cuts and test prints are a rich source of inspiration. Toni demonstrates how the ‘fodder’ can be reimagined into meaningful, sculptural works.

  • Simple structures, surprising results.
    From concertinas to cascades, Toni shows how even the most basic book forms can evolve into intricate, expressive pieces.

  • Inspiration is everywhere.
    Whether it’s a kitchen utensil or an old map, Toni’s approach encourages artists to look at everyday objects with new eyes and follow the spark of curiosity.


Keen to learn more about Toni's new course with Take Two?

 

Explore the artwork from this episode below

During the live interview, we shared some images of Toni’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below. 

Join the conversation

What inspired you this episode? Share your biggest insight or favourite moment by tagging @FibreArtsTakeTwo on social media or using #FibreArtsPodcast

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