Page 34 - The Digital Cloth Issue 6

When I was growing up, I never thought of myself
as being artistic. At school, my only memorable,
positive experience in art, involved a soldering iron
and wire sculpture. My experience in textiles was

just as bad, as I struggled with hand embroidery
using thick, red cotton on a bright blue cookery
apron. I relished being outdoors, playing sport,
going hiking and camping. Staying true to myself
and my skills set, I graduated as a teacher of
Physical Education and Mathematics. With this
background, it seems very unlikely that I have now
been working as a textile artist for nearly thirty
years.

Over this period of time, I have found myself
seeking an evolution in my work. A desire not to
stay static, but a longing to move in new directions,
experiment, create new bodies of work, and find
my own voice. This hasn’t been a smooth journey
as I have struggled to master techniques, learn
the principles of colour and design and be brave
enough to push the boundaries.

Over time, artists tend to develop their When you travel a short or longer
own style. This growth as an artist is distance down the abstract path, the
not easy. The transition is not sky is the limit.
always smooth, but it is something And talking of sky, that is probably
fluid that ebbs and flows. My own the key area that I have explored and
journey started with realistic manipulated to make it a feature of

landscape, then a move into abstract my work.
as I concentrated on pattern and shape. There is nothing more thrilling and
Now I am combining the two, visually stimulating than watching a
experimenting with my own style of spectacular sunset over the ocean.
abstract landscape. Then there is the dramatic sky
heralding an impending storm, or
The relationship between realistic and the sun low in the sky, magically
abstract is a continuum, and many lighting up the landscape below.
successful artists retain some of the

realistic elements while discarding and The sky has the potential to be the
playing around with others. When you most exciting element to energise
are not limited to a literal image, I and enhance any landscape. Its
believe the important thing is to still endless capacity for change makes it
retain the essence of your subject. the most flexible, compositional tool
When you are restricted to a literal in your design box. Whatever colour
image, you work hard at producing a palette or textures you choose, I
detailed three- dimensional design. have found that when you place the
sky fabric in the position of the sky