Where to Next

 I have completed my MA, the London show has finished. I am thrilled to have achieved a distinction. My studio is as tidy as its been for a long time. 
For the last few weeks since handing in my major project I have been looking back through my sketchbooks for ideas and images that I hadn’t time to pursue

This is a colour study developed from a drawing of Willow tree that came down in a storm several years ago. It is still alive, it bursts into leaf every spring and I see it as a symbol of hope. This is the fourth version. I like to try out colour ideas before I start the making process. I find it contemplative, it helps me visualise the completed work. I don’t usually faithfully follow the paintings but I thought this time I would try to

To some extent I have succeeded but this is just part of the central  section and already I am making changes.

Where to next? I will be having a gallery at the Festival of Quilts in 2018. 

Lost in Landscape

For the last two years I have been studying for an MA in Textiles at UCA, Farnham. It has been a valuable opportunity to reflect on my practice in dialogue with Professor Lesley Millar. The focus of my research was on Landscape. I have been thinking about how the making process can be a metaphor for the landscape. The work like the landscape appears physically substantial, but it is made up of numerous small, delicate and intricate elements but like the landscape it references there is an underlying order and sequence. Patchwork is a process of layers. There are hidden seams, raw edges and loose threads.

The two images above are details taken from my quilt ‘Lost in Landscape’. The complete work can be seen at the MA Graduation Show 2017 which takes place at the University for the Creative Arts, Falkner Road, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7DS.                        29 August – 2nd September 9.30 – 2nd September.

New Quilting at Rhegad Centre

I am very pleased to have three quilts accepted for the exhibition ‘New Quilting’ at the Rhegad Centre in Penrith, Cumbria. This exhibition opens tomorrow and runs until the 23rd April. More details can be found by visiting http://www.rhegad.com

One of my featured quilts is ‘Lightstrike’ (above) It was made in 2008 so its lovely to have the opportunity to show it again. It is interesting for me to look back and think how my work has changed over what is nearly ten years. Lightwave was one of a series of quilts exploring light and transparency and represents the period when I started painting with thickened dye rather than using shibori techniques to colour my fabric. The two other quilts are ‘Liquid Amber’ (below)  made in 2011 and ‘Green Blooms’ made in 2015

 

This Summer

It has been a few months since I have written anything, this is because am studying for an MA in Textiles at UCA Farnham and it is absorbing all of my creative time. My work has become focused on a small area of landscape in the Cotswolds which I am very familiar with, its changing colours, the cycle of the seasons and the passage of time. I am currently working on a piece inspired by a wild flower meadow

Here is a colour study and detail of the work in process which I am thinking of calling ‘Meadowsweet’

Next week is the Festival of Quilts at the NEC, Birmingham and I am thrilled to have two works there. Green Blooms has been selected for the Fine Art Quilt Masters

Along with this piece ‘High Summer’ is in the 6th European Quilt Triennial (see previous post)

Red Blooms Showing at Textile et Kunst, Munich

I am very happy to be exhibiting with zero3 at Textile et Kunst in Munich, Germany. Our exhibition is called Signature VI. One of the pieces I am showing is ‘Red Blooms’

The exhibition runs from the 5th October until the 23rd October 2015

6th European Quilt Triennial

I have just received a copy of the catalogue of this exhibition currently showing at Textilsammlung Max Berk, Kurpfälzisches Museum, Heidelberg, Germany in which my quilt ‘High Summer’ is included. This exhibition will be shown at the Festival of Quilts next year (11-14 August) at the NEC, Birmingham and as with all the previous Triennial’s there is much exciting and innovative work.

High Summer

High Summer detail

Quilt Art Dialogues opens at the Quilt Museum York

Quilt Art’s latest exhibition Dialogues opens at the Quilt Museum York  today. I am showing Grandiflora Gold.

I have become fascinated with photographing and drawing garden flowers and looking at them in close detail. Below is a colour study for the quilt. I find it very helpful to play around with the colour before I actually start the work, as you can see I have not nescessarily followed the colour scheme of the painting but its very helpful to have when making fabric choices.

The exhibition runs from the 11th September until the 31st October 2015. Sadly the museum is closing but I feel I have been very fortunate to have exhibited my work there on several occasions including in the opening exhibition ‘Quilts in Time’ curated by Helen Joseph

Running Commentary

Running Commentary is an installation made by members of Quilt Art as part of their exhibition Small Talk which will be shown for the first time at the Festival of Quilts at the NEC, Birmingham. Below are the three pieces I have made as my contribution (colourways 1, 2, 3)   Quilt Art celebrates it’s 30th anniversary this year and as well as Small Talk we also have a major exhibition Dialogues. This will be shown at the Quilt Museum, York from the 11th September-31st October 2015. More information about Quilt Art, its members and exhibition venues can be found http://www.quiltart.eu

Colour Study

I often  make colour studies for new work, this is very helpful in developing a feel for the balance of the piece and determining which areas to emphasise. I like working with watercolour paint, it has a luminous quality.

My Textile Life

Welcome to my blog

I hope this blog will give an insight into my textile life which is concentrated on making art quilts.These begin with a series of drawings, at present these are mainly botanical and a collection of fabric dyed and printed by me twenty  four pieces of cloth dyed and screen-printed in the last two weeks