From a small studio, in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside, I create a range of unique, naturally hand dyed and eco printed silk scarves, using fresh plant materials gathered from my garden and natural plant extracts responsibly sourced from the wild. The relatively unpredictable nature of the process is always exciting, as the leaves give up their tannins to the silk and the final print is revealed.
Drawing on the diverse beauty of the natural world, I also create a range of original, textile wall art, felted 3d vessels, such as vases and bowls and small, giftable items like my individually hand crafted felt bookmarks. I love texture and colour and the hands-on approach to my craft, manipulating fibres and fabrics into something beautiful. Combining felting techniques with hand and free motion embroidery, a closer inspection reveals the depth, texture and rich tones created through my use of wool, silks and other effect fibres.
I have always been a naturally creative soul. I don’t have any formal textile or artistic qualifications, I am pretty much self-taught, experimenting as I go and loving the tactile nature of my work. Every piece that I design and create, is inspired by my love of nature. Mostly, I am here at home, surrounded by lush green fields, gently undulating hills and woodland filled with wildlife. Occasionally, my love of the coast interrupts this rural idyll, and I am filled with an overwhelming desire to be by the sea in Cornwall. The colours of the ancient landscape and ever-changing light upon the water feed into my work for a spell and creating something with a strong coastal narrative helps to satisfy my longing, for a little while at least!
Nature and the natural world provide the inspiration, the colour palette and the textures that inform my one-off pieces and I like to create when the mood takes me.
Connecting with customers is important to me. Having a dedicated time and space to share my work, especially face to face, presents an opportunity to explain the inspiration behind it, to share with you some of the creative processes I use and the time that I invest in creating a unique piece, alongside my desire to be as sustainable as possible in my practice. I hope you will come and find me during Worcestershire Open Studios, I’d love you to come along and view my work. I am always happy to chat and you are very welcome to ask questions. I'll be working in my garden room studio so as well as being able to see a full range of my current textile art, I will be making a variety of new pieces during the event, allowing you to see some textile works in progress and to gain a better understanding about the creative processes involved in needle felting, wet felting and eco printing.
I will be open from Friday 25th to Monday 29th over the August Bank Holiday weekend, however, if you would like to visit on an alternative day during Worcestershire Open Studios, please telephone to arrange an appointment.