Page 8 - The Digital Cloth Holiday issue 2

I am a contemporary mixed media artist who I let the shape of each doily inform the
lives and works in Durham in the North East layout of the illustration as well as ensuring
of England. I left Loughborough Art College the exact number of magpies were included
with a Fine Art degree and became a teacher, for each line of the verse. Tricky but enjoyable.
a career that was both challenging and very I decided to conclude this set with the seventh
rewarding. Now having left the classroom, I line “Seven for a secret never to be told”. These

have time to really focus on my own art work. pieces generated a lot of interest and as I did
I have always enjoyed exploring and creating not wish to break up this original set I found
art using a wide range of media and myself producing further magpie pieces. As I
techniques but it is textile art that now use reclaimed fragments of materials and
dominates my most recent practice. vintage linen no magpie piece is exactly the
I grew up in a family where the females would same.
mend clothes, and knit the odd jumper but I did take a short break from the magpie
they were not great seamstresses. Creative theme but found myself drawn back to it

needlework skills have been something I’ve earlier this year when a pair of magpies
picked up along the way and I’m still learning. started nesting in a tree outside my workroom
Members of my local Embroiderers’ Guild window.
branch have been particularly inspirational They were great entertainment during
and supportive. lockdown, flitting around the gardens and
My paintings gradually evolved into mixed fearlessly chasing off other birds and squirrels.
media pieces when I started adding different Their black and white plumage is very
materials including fabrics to my canvases distinctive and recognisable making them
to achieve greater textural effects. I still say I a popular bird. Here in the North East even
paint but with fabric and thread. Today my the local Newcastle United Football team are
work is mostly fabric collages, hand nicknamed the “magpies”as they wear a black
embroidered using reclaimed materials. I and white strip.

scour charity shops for my supplies as well as
gratefully accepting donations from friends.
I do not have particular favourite brands of
thread or fabric I just use what is at hand.
My subject matter is varied but figures still
generally populate my work. This comes from
a love of life drawing which has stayed with
me since my college days. Up until the recent

pandemic I regularly attended weekly life class
sessions.
Last year I moved away from the figurative
work when I became fascinated with English
magpies and the stories and myths connected
to these striking birds. The traditional rhyme
“One for sorrow”* was the inspiration for the
first of my magpie pieces. Old table linen
doilies seemed to be the perfect ground for
these hand embroidered pieces. To maintain
the monochrome colour palette I dyed them
grey before planning the compositions.