artists and tutors sharing ideas imagination and skills
Tulips on Tiptoes 1
One of a set of 3 quilts, worked on natural scoured cotton, with applied gesso and printing
Tulips on Tiptoes 3
One of a set of 3 quilts, worked on natural scoured cotton, with applied gesso and printing
Marks in the Landscape
Bowl with Three Oranges
Orange Pear on a Plate
New Lines of Enquiry
I have been involved in textiles for over 40 years, working in theatre costume and tailoring, before qualifying as a teacher. My working life is rich and varied. I am fortunate to have my own working studio where I can teach and create. My own teaching takes me all over the country and abroad. I teach in schools, for community groups, for guilds and, until recently, on the degree programme for the Julia Caprara School of Stitched Textiles. The past two years has seen the development of Working Together, which are courses taught by myself and Ruth Issett mainly from my studio although we are happy to take these courses out into the wider community.
The beautiful Shropshire Countryside where I live and work, reflects my current working practice and has engaged my interest for some time. Marks and surfaces underfoot and the process of making these marks on cloth, has played its part in recent works. I enjoy the entire process of designing and drawing, and an important stage in formulating ideas is to start by making bold drawn statements in charcoal and pencil. The move into fabric is also very important and I constantly seek out processes which I feel keep the vitality of the drawings in the translation into fabric and stitch. I enjoy changing the surface of fabrics through dyeing, colouring, printing and at times continuing to employ the heavily machine-stitched surfaces that I enjoy using in my work.
A current challenge includes working on my first book which looks at Flowers as Inspiration. I am also exploring creative links with a Childrens Village in Kamuzinda, Uganda, where I have become heavily committed, with the children, schools and teachers, something which I hope will be a lifelong challenge.