I belonged to a mixed-media design group called MAINLY STITCH from 2000 to 2012. The group exhibits at The National Trust Visitor Centre at Ilam Hall (South Peak Estate) near Ashbourne, Derbyshire and other galleries every two years.
This is some of my STITCH and digital work at exhibitions in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011.
Much of my work is three-dimensional, and form is very important to me. I incorporate many media in my work, stitch sometimes not being the main element.
It is very difficult to photograph well.
I have recently, since leaving Mainly Stitch, been doing more EXPERIMENTAL WORK, mixing up digital imaging, sculptural and textile work – and just having fun!
Much of my recent work is related to the sand and the sea and has a page of its own, THINKING OF THE SEA.
I give talks about my work to local groups.
I also run a mini workshop, ‘SEAMLESS WEAVING’ – making a small bag using a technique that requires no seams nor any expensive equipment.
There is also some of my PAPIER MACHE, STITCHING ON METAL, and PATCHED PIECES work on the MORE CREATIVE WORK page.
[[*** When you have selected an album, select the larger thumbnail (bottom left of the album) for reasonably sized images. You can then click on an image if you would like to see it full size and information.]]
There is more of my more recent mixed media work on other pages, in particular, THINKING OF THE SEA and EXPERIMENTAL WORK.
GROWTH 2011(25)
February 11, 2012
Due to family ill health and a trip to New Zealand in the months before the Mainly Stitch exhibition, I was not planning to exhibit in 2011. However, I decided to display two of my woven wire forms at Ilam in June and then more when we exhibited at the Arkwright Mill at Cromford in August. Photographing this work is very difficult, and some of the forms illustrated have grown or changed since photographing. I have more work to add and images of my ‘colour mixing’ with wire and thread.
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MORE WIRE
May 07, 2018
More recent updates of wire work. Some of the work in The GROWTH album has grown!
WIRE EXPERIMENTS
May 05, 2017
I am experimenting with aluminium wires in my wire weaving using the colours of the sea. The form is still a spiral, as in my other wire work, although I am using the colours of the sea as inspiration.
I have experimented with another piece, initially thinking of it as a waveform, but it is so organic it has to be a ‘creature’, incorporating strips of transfer printed Lutradur and stitch. (Images yet to be added)
Another experiment is using a painted background canvas and wrapping wires horizontally to give texture. This work is still experimental, and I will add a picture shortly.
CROSSING BOUNDARIES 2009
February 10, 2012
My work for the Mainly Stitch exhibitions at Ilam and The Ridgeway Gallery at Bakewell was based on the Fibonacci series and spiral growth. It is a development from previous work, taking the twist of the boxes from the Collections exhibition and applying them to the Fibonacci diagram. I made strategic cuts in the forms and stitched them very heavily with free machining to contort them. There is no wire in these forms! Spirals and this number pattern occur everywhere in nature and fascinate me.
‘COLLECTIONS’ 2007 – SHELLS
January 29, 2012
This is some of my stitch work at Mainly Stitch exhibitions in 2007. It is based on a collection of natural packaging in the form of scanned shells and a particularly imaginative man-made box.
‘COLLECTIONS’ 2007 – PACKAGING
January 29, 2012
This is some of my stitch work at Mainly Stitch exhibitions in 2007. It is based on a collection of natural packaging in the form of scanned shells and a particularly imaginative man-made box.
‘SEW DIVERSE’ 2005
January 29, 2012
This is some of my stitch work at Mainly Stitch exhibitions in 2005. All this work is inspired by snail shells which I had scanned, and of course, the favourite food of snails in our garden, David’s prize Hostas!
MORE SNAIL-INSPIRED WORK
September 04, 2017
Sew Diverse album being divided – work in progress
RESPONSES
February 02, 2012
My work for the Mainly Stitch RESPONSES exhibition at the National Trust Ilam Park visitor centre was inspired by water avens (Geum rivali) which grow prolifically beside the river.