About me
My Background
My inspiration
My Background
Having a childhood during the 60’s growing up on a dairy farm in North Yorkshire, laid the foundations for my love of nature, but built core skills of sewing & embroidery, knitting & rug making , drawing & photography. In spite of a successful and fascinating career in Nursing and Midwifery for over 30 years I relentlessly continued to
Having a childhood during the 60’s growing up on a dairy farm in North Yorkshire, laid the foundations for my love of nature, but built core skills of sewing & embroidery, knitting & rug making , drawing & photography. In spite of a successful and fascinating career in Nursing and Midwifery for over 30 years I relentlessly continued to be creative in whatever spare time I had.
Whilst juggling 2 young children and a research job, after 4 wonderful, but hectic years I graduated with a 2:1 (hons) TEXTILES FASHION DESIGN & MANAGEMENT degree at Galashiels, and then
Exhibited my knitted Handbag collection at The New Designers Expo in the Business Design Centre, London.
Following a few day classes with Ann Swan, even though I found Botanical studies very restrictive, 2 of my artworks were accepted into the Annual Society of Botanical Artists exhibition held in Westminster Hall, London in 2007.
More recently I have attended a course run by Justine Warner over 2 years covering creative textile and experimental techniques, covering a vast array of different skills.
My Medium
My inspiration
My Background
I have always enjoyed photography, capturing the moment, composing an image when the light is at its optimum, chasing a sunset, cobwebs in the mist, ripples on the sand. These many hundreds of photographs are such a useful ‘go to’ for inspiration. Drawing has to be the next stage, but thereafter, the possibilities to create art using th
I have always enjoyed photography, capturing the moment, composing an image when the light is at its optimum, chasing a sunset, cobwebs in the mist, ripples on the sand. These many hundreds of photographs are such a useful ‘go to’ for inspiration. Drawing has to be the next stage, but thereafter, the possibilities to create art using the range of natural and synthetic textiles available is never ending. Layering, burning back, free machine embroidery, needle felting, appliqué, slow stitching for detail, with elements of printing, weaving & papermaking having a role.
My inspiration
My inspiration
My inspiration
My daily walks with Willow, my loyal golden retriever, along the cliff tops & shoreline, beside hedgerows or in the forestry, can all provide a starting point.
Birds & animals, flowers & seedpods, together with my pocket full of collected objects…. feathers, cones, lichen, shells & pebbles.
Back in my garden studio, I can experiment and
My daily walks with Willow, my loyal golden retriever, along the cliff tops & shoreline, beside hedgerows or in the forestry, can all provide a starting point.
Birds & animals, flowers & seedpods, together with my pocket full of collected objects…. feathers, cones, lichen, shells & pebbles.
Back in my garden studio, I can experiment and develop an idea, but equally very happy to work to a commission. I hope that I am creating beautiful tactile pieces of artwork that will be enjoyed and appreciated for many years. Made with love from my soul.
Biography
Having grown up on a Farm in North Yorkshire near the Coast my roots are inherently at one with nature, but also the seaside. I was lucky to have a Mother who passed on her sewing and knitting skills, and to have lived through the school curriculum years when ‘Domestic science’ was included.
A childhood on a farm was wonderful but often lonely, so I filled those long winter evenings, embroidering tray cloths, rug making, knitting and drawing. In those good old days of limited television viewing….its surprising how much more can be achieved!
Career options in the 70’s were more restricted though, so despite the fact I would admire department store artistic window displays, I opted for the more sensible choice of Nursing and Midwifery. For more than 30 years I feel I accumulated a vast array of fascinating and rewarding achievements within the medical field.
Sadly though my Mother did not reach retirement, and I inherited her huge collection of knitting yarn, that she had gathered up for many years. Bless my Dad, a very typical Yorkshire farmer, did suggest we have a bonfire with it all!
I had other plans.
At the time I was working at Edinburgh University involved in a Rugby injuries survey and regularly drove past The Scottish Textile University in Galashiels, and gazed longingly….. they must be doing wonderfully creative things, so I approached them about a course, and after an interview and assessing my portfolio, was offered a place to study.
4 wonderful, but very busy years later (still juggling a research job and 2 children)
I graduated with a 2:1 hons Textiles Fashion Design &Management degree in 1997
My knitted Handbag collection was selected for New Designers exhibition held annually in the Business Design Centre London that summer.
Family life and commitments still made it difficult to give up the day job to concentrate on an artistic life, so I continued ad hoc.
Amassing Photographs.
Acquiring better drawing skills by attending a few day classes with Ann Swan, a talented botanical artist. Even though I found botanical studies very restrictive, 2 of my Art works were accepted into the Annual Society of Botanical Artists exhibition held in Westminster Hall, London in 2007.
I much prefer though a looser style, drawing images of wildlife, birds, feathers, pebbles and other found objects.
Recently, as retirement beckons, I found some free time and then a part time Creative Textiles year long course, run by Justine Warner in The Lund Gallery, Easingwold.
This course has taken me out of my comfort zone, has brought together a huge range of my existing skills, but makes excellent use of my vast collection of found objects, stores of fabric scraps, yarn& wool tops, various paints & coloured pencils….
Being introduced to the possibilities that textiles such as Lutrador, Bondaweb and Tyvek can achieve. Mastering free motion embroidery and applique to create artistic work is a joy.
I am so enjoying layering, stitching, felting and creating works that are much more complete pieces.
My mind is a buzz with ideas.
