Lois Pawson - Animation & Maker Projects

As a child, Lois was captivated by puppetry and performed on Schools Network TV as a ventriloquist and presenter with her vent companions, Treacle Toffee and Honeypot. This early fascination with movement and storytelling through imagined personas continues to shape and inspire her artistic practice.

During her MA studies, Lois created short films using handmade armatured stop motion puppets — which featured in film festivals. She is a member of the SlopMotion collaborative, where she produces micro-movies, and in autumn 2025, she will further her exploration of the medium by studying stop-motion animation at the renowned Aardman Academy in Bristol.

Lois’s maker projects span costume and headdress design, with commissions for oriental dance performers and troupes, bespoke bridal headpieces, fabric design, and traditional millinery. She trained in millinery with Liz Bamber—who worked with iconic designer Norman Hartnell—and with Lomax & Skinner in Lewes, known for their costume work in theatre and film. Her love for costume is rooted in family heritage: her grandmother worked as a dresser for musical theatre stars, while her mother was a skilled embroideress trained at the Royal School of Needlework.

Lois’s creative ventures also extend to botanical experimentation. At one point, she cultivated 18 varieties of ancient damask roses on a sprawling allotment to produce harissa paste, a quirky artisanal project commissioned by local delicatessens. This experimental foray paid homage to her father and grandfather, both avid rose growers. Roses continue to feature prominently in her later work, especially in illustrations and designs inspired by The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam—whose meditations on the fleeting nature of life, symbolised by the blooming rose, hold deep personal meaning for her.