As we try to navigate this uncertain period , we each find our own pathway. For some the extended time has given rise to creative endeavours, for others it may have come with increased stress and anxiety. As artists our need to learn, share and grow will always be important, along with being part of a community and knowing we are not alone on this path.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and interest in reading our artists interviews.
Janet Edmonds
During this project have you looked at a new way of working ?
My theme for ‘Insights’ remains largely the same as it has been for many years. I have always collected stones and pebbles and other items carried by the sea onto the beach as it invites thoughts about the processes by which they have arrived in that place and what enabled the erosion of their form and surface. The central focus of my practice is making and building in response to worn and eroded surfaces on dimensional objects, beginning with drawing to familiarise myself with the proportions, dimensions, shape and quality of the object.
I have been working with a fragile skeleton of a small piece of plant material that has inspired a collection of stitched forms, exploring crochet as a different method of construction. I am trying to capture the delicate, fragile nature of the structure with its quiet colour, whilst trying to say something about the unknown journey that brought it to rest on that beach.
Working with a small crochet hook allows me to construct in the round, backwards and forwards, up and down, to create the form. I then have a firm object upon which to add various appendages and surface texture using stitch. I aim to make a form using just thread that will be self supporting without the need to employ strengthening materials.
What is your favourite part of the creative process?
Although I am inspired by the whole process, there are two stages that I really enjoy. Firstly, I like drawing because not only is it a learning process but I like the feel of the pen or pencil in my hand and the sound and feel of the tool on the paper surface. When using ink or paint I like to see the flow of the wet medium reacting to the paper. Whether it is a loose expressive drawing or a detailed observation of an object, I enjoy the discipline of reproducing what I see on a two dimensional surface.
Secondly, I do like to get to the point where I can sit and stitch. Stitching can be a meditative process, when the creative decisions have been made and serious making can begin. The repetitive action of drawing thread through cloth is a deeply satisfying activity and to see a project slowly emerge towards completion is rewarding.
