My textile background

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I have always stitched and had a love of textiles.  Making clothes in my teens and twenties evolved into making wearable art garments and then mixed media textile art.  I particularly enjoy the dyeing process and most of the fabric and thread I work with is hand dyed. 

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I am a member of Birmingham Embroidery and Textile Art and the exhibiting group Eclectica.

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My inspiration

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I have huge respect for the traditional textile techniques of small ethnic communities.  Visits to the studios of artisan craftsmen and textile artists in Japan have given me a tiny insight into age-old techniques that take many years to perfect.  Although these techniques do not translate readily into my own work I do find myself influenced by Japanese aesthetics.

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Mixed media is an ongoing journey of experimentation and discovery, with the freedom to explore the broadest range of techniques and materials.  Digital photography, printing, applique, layering and collage, dyeing, burning, melting, rusting, discharge, resist techniques and stitch can all change the surface of undyed cloth and my work is constantly evolving. 

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Ideas for finished pieces may develop from experimentation or be triggered by walks in the countryside, visits to exhibitions and museums, and travel.  A camera and notebook are essential for capturing and recording the shapes, colours and textures of the natural and manmade worlds.