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My Work 

 

Working from a small studio at my home in the West Midlands I produce mixed media textile art, wearable art garments, journals and handmade paper.  I regularly give talks and tutor workshops on textile-related topics.

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Rust

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My work with discarded rusty objects on canvas is influenced by the Japanese 'mottainai' ethos that everything on earth has value and should be used to the uttermost, and also by 'wabi sabi', an acceptance of the natural processes that eventually bring about impermanence and imperfection.  Rust obviously causes destruction and decay but the corrosive process produces beautiful colours and textures. The challenge is to exploit these characteristics creatively and turn a negative force into something positive and enduring.

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Indigo 

 

I dye cloth, paper and many of the threads used in my work.  Indigo is a wonderful dyeing medium and Japanese shibori techniques make the most of this lovely colour by creating interesting resist patterns on the cloth.  Whilst these techniques are traditional, they are open to experimentation and unexpected but always interesting results can emerge.

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Stitch

 

Stitch, both free machine and hand stitch, is integral to my work.  I enjoy the rhythmic, meditational element of simple hand stitching, which fits well with the materials I use as well as with the Japanese influences that inspire me.  I am usually guided by the shapes and colours produced by rusting or indigo dyeing and seek to emphasise these rather than making stitch the focal point of the piece.