My earliest pieces, inspired by Windsor Great Park, were very fine, almost transparent wall hangings. I used just a few layers of hand dyed and printed silk `habotai’ and organza using batik and tray dyeing. I then collaged and hand stitched them. You can see an example Great Park winter.
I then started to use quilting, incorporating backing and a layer of light wadding to give definition and depth.
As my relationship with the landscape deepened I wanted to be able to evoke more of what experienced ; different landscapes, seasons, weather and light. I started to experiment with different materials and now use a wide range; cottons and linens as well as silks. But often I come back to silk including satin, organza crepeline and noil. I love the feel of them, how they take the colour and reflect the light.I continue to develop a wide range of mark making, printing and dyeing techniques.
Experimentation
It is too easy and safe to keep doing the same things. I try to keep fresh and develop by playing with colour, with different approaches and techniques and by creating experimental pieces that draw on different areas of my experience.
My artistic and technical development is supported by a regular Independent Study Class, 2 days, every 2 months.
This is run by Leslie Morgan at Committed to Cloth. Here I find support and challenge, inspiration and ideas,
friendship and excellent facilities for all kinds of textile work. www.committedtocloth.uk
Found Landscapes
These use as their background the drop cloth used to protect my print table for 7 years, with layers of printing, dyeing, and painting randomly built up on both sides.
I pinned it up and, over a period of 2 days ‘found’, around 30 potential landscapes, cut them out and mounted them on backing and wadding.
To create these ‘imagined’ landscapes I enhanced minimally aspects of the image with collage of fabric and stitch but haven’t hidden the random blotches that don’t ‘fit.’ It has forced me into seeing and doing things differently.
Still Lives
Inspiration can come directly from the cloth. In 2015, I did some experimental dyeing using a method called Breakdown Printing. Many of the resulting cloths were vibrant; multicoloured and chaotically patterned. I wanted to find a use for them and found inspiration in the Still Life paintings of Matisse, Winifred Nicolson and others including a local artist, Sonia Barton. Making these I play with composition, form and bright colours.
Northern Wilderness
I went to the Taiga Swamp Forest in North East Finland in summer 2016 and Winter 2017. It was an amazing and
inspiring experience, walking and snowshoeing in the true Wilderness.
I have started making new work to try to reflect my experiences starting with Winter. I have to create a completely
new palette of dyed and printed fabrics and discover how to evoke this new landscape. Summer will follow. and I
will have to go back.
View the work in the Northern Wilderness Gallery.