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Artist's Statement:

My own studio work is textiles and mixed media and is usually wall hung. It is bright and quirky with figurative and narrative elements, using rich colours, threads and fabrics. Work is repeatedly stitched into allowing tones to build up using wool, hand sewing threads, silks and metallic threads.

The background is usually calico, and layers of fabric are then hand tacked into place before machining. The work is literally drawn with the needle, using the sewing machine as a painting tool. I work blind from the back in many works as the wool and hand sewing threads are too thick for the top thread and are wound by hand onto the spool. I usually mark the area to be worked with a felt pen and keep turning over to judge the result. The work gets quite heavy this way and becomes difficult to manipulate under the machine, also areas are stretched and distorted and have to be recut or simply cut out and discarded in order to regain the shape of the work. There may be days when it looks like little or no progress is being made, as work has ended up on the cutting room floor. I do not keep sketch books but rather inspiration books filled with poems, post cards and doodles. I work straight onto the pieces with little visible preparation as this allows my work to develop fluidly.

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