I live in Bentham in the Yorkshire
Dales close to the Forest of Bowland, and I design and make felt hangings,
canvases, bags, and scarves. I originally trained in ceramics at
Preston Polytechnic (now the University of Central Lancashire) and taught
pottery for many years at the Adult College in Lancaster. However I was
introduced to felt making, and I fell in love with colour!
Although I work with wool, silk,
and threads, I approach my work as if it were painting. For example the
starting point for my bags is a large piece of felt which I have created/painted
with coloured wool, and which is effectively a large 2D abstract piece
of work which is then transformed into 3D bags. My scarves are all individual
pieces of work – wool felted onto silk chiffon.
My large non-functional 2D pieces
consist of merino wool felted onto silk chiffon. The silk chiffon gives
a certain underlying translucency to the coloured wool and the overall
effect is of vibrant colour. They are generally abstract, but suggestive
of, for example, underwater scenes, foliage, and landscapes.
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