Our story

We work from a shared art and design space located in what was the cow shed of a beautiful C18 barn on Culverton Farm near Princes Risborough, at the foot of the Chiltern hills.

The workshops founded by Lisa Vaughan and Karina Thomas play a key part in the spirit of Black Swans Studios. Offering a range of textile and craft courses we encourage connections, creativity and learning with a chance to slow down, laugh, reflect and nourish the soul in an environmentally sustainable way.

Lisa and Karina met whilst studying textiles at the Royal College of Art. They both set up their own design practices in London after graduating whilst also both teaching at UK universities. They bring this expertise to the exciting workshops on offer at Black Swans Studios.

I studied constructed textiles at The Royal College of Art and specialised in knitted and woven textiles for interior spaces. I have taught at several UK universities including The Royal College of Art and Bucks New Uni where I was a Senior Lecturer for 10 years.

Past clients include;

Tom Dixon, The British Embassy, Ford, Arjo Wiggins, Harrods, salt and Clementine Blakemore Architects.

My practise is rooted the language of textiles where structure, tension and repetition become tools for narrative. Trained in fine gauge knitting and weaving, I explore the tactile and conceptual boundaries of textile surfaces, often positioning them as mediative sites where opposing forces co exist: the organic and the geometric, the domestic and the monumental, the rural and the industrial.

Through installations, interior collaborations and community led projects, I aim to connect material processes with lived experience. My recent work responds to disruptions both personal and collective using alternative techniques developed in a period of re-evaluation and constraint. These constraints have opened up new dialogues about adaptability, legacy and reuse.

I established my embroidery studio in London with a setting up grant from the Crafts Council after graduating from the Royal College of Art. Specialising in hand and machine embroidery I exhibited in London and New York selling my illustrative embroidery to stores and interior designers.

Past clients include; Designers Guild, Barneys NY, LA & Japan, Christopher Farr, Takashimaya, Kate Spade & Vogue.

My textile practice maps the emotional and physical experience of walking through nature. Using transparent layers and stitched lines, I trace paths walked or imagined, embedding collected ephemera and impressions of mood, season, and place into each piece.

Stitching becomes a meditative act—echoing past footsteps across familiar routes, open fields, and woodlands. Repetition in stitch reflects changing seasons, shifting perceptions, and evolving connections with the landscape.

Pockets filled with stones, leaves, and grasses carry memory and meaning. These small fragments speak to biophilia—our instinctive bond with nature, as vital as air. My work seeks to bring that connection closer to the spaces we call home, offering moments of reflection, grounding, and quiet renewal.

I exhibit my work through Contemporary Applied Art.