My identity as a textile artist evolved from sewing as a child, to studying textiles and design at university. The women in my family are quilters, beaders and sewers. Maybe it is “in my blood” as my ancestors were in the textile industry in England. For years I made my own clothes. I beaded, embroidered, crocheted, and did needlepoint. I did batik, fabric painting, weaving, spinning and dying. I have participated in many workshops and classes related to art and fabric embellishment. Drawing, painting and printmaking on paper and canvas gave me practice in design fundamentals. It is however, the feel of textiles that I come back to. I love thread and fabric! Creating my own designs and executing them on fabric feels right. Sometimes a photograph will begin the process, or it can be a theme, a fabric, a new technique or an emotion that sparks an idea.
Before retirement I found that the intensity of my "day job" demanded that I find a way to restore my serenity and energy. Spending time with fabric and art did that. With my formal career over I can now sink myself into the creative process even deeper.
A textile artist I admire once said when she retired from her career as a physician, "I just want to make beautiful things". I get that....and that's what I hope to do too.
