Maisie Matilda

Maisie first encountered Fore-Edge painting while studying manuscript illumination during her degree in Art History at the University of Bristol. Fore-edge painting is an old art form where detailed watercolor scenes are painted directly onto the edges of a book’s pages

During the 2020-2021 Covid lockdown, Maisie attempted the craft herself for the first time. That experiment unlocked a deeper commitment to both the craft itself and to making it accessible to new audiences.

Fore-Edge painting now appears on the Red List of Critically Endangered Crafts maintained by the Heritage Crafts Association UK, and she works to counter that by sharing the craft with new audiences.

I do love giving new life into old books. Not only is it a sustainable art form, but they often come with their own pieces of history: inscriptions with names, dates, and little messages if they were gifts.

She endeavors to inspire others to explore Fore-Edge painting for themselves and discover the fun in transforming their favourite books into works of art, no matter their artistic ability.