Thread Bearing Witness exhibition, The Whitworth
13 November 2018A couple of weeks ago I was in Manchester and made the opportunity to go to The Whitworth Museum to see the Thread Bearing Witness exhibition and it was awesome!  My first contact with it was through the Stitch a Tree Project where anyone could stitch a small piece of fabric with a tree to show […]
Read more >
Anni Albers exhibition
26 October 2018When I was in London this week I also went to see the Anni Albers exhibition at Tate Modern. Anni Albers (1899-1994) was one of the first to move weaving on from being for purely practical purposes to being seen as an art piece for itself. I found all the technical diagrams as fascinating as […]
Read more >
Oceania exhibition RA
25 October 2018This week I got one of my much-liked London fixes by popping down to see a couple of exhibitions. First up was Oceania at the Royal Academy which was equal parts inspiring, educating and humbling. The show is made up of ethnographic collections dating from the 18th century to the present with a free audio guide […]
Read more >
Winterbourne House and Gardens residency
19 October 2018I thought I’d just pop in today and update my blog on my first three weeks of residency at the University of Birmingham Winterbourne House and Gardens. I have been blessed with great weather and tried to make the most of it by painting outside as much as possible. I have a room on site […]
Read more >
Artist in Residence at the University of Birmingham Winterbourne House and Gardens
28 September 2018I am absolutely delighted to share the news with you that I am Artist in Residence at the University of Birmingham Winterbourne House and Gardens until May 2020. Â Winterbourne House and Gardens was a charming family home built in 1904 in the Arts and Crafts style. The last family to live in it bequeathed it […]
Read more >
Jean B Martin
23 September 2018Yesterday I got to meet my absolute painting hero – Jean B Martin when she did a talk at the opening of her exhibition in the Cotswolds. She has much to teach me as a painter and in real life she is both full of advice and new approaches and also witty and down-to-earth in a […]
Read more >
The 62 Group
30 August 2018Currently at the Midlands Art Center, Birmingham, UK is a wonderful Textile exhibition by The 62 Group called Ctrl/Shift. It’s on the theme of changes and shifts in the artists way of working whether that be by using new technology or a change of understanding or personal practice. The 62 group has become one of the most […]
Read more >
Adventures in Shibori
20 August 2018I made the most of the recent sunny weather to do some messy dye projects in the garden. This is some Shibori fun- the Japanese method of clamping and twisting fabric prior to dying. It is so simple but effective but in the past it hasn’t always delivered the results hoped for until this time […]
Read more >
Monet’s House, Giverny
29 July 2018A week ago today we were soaking up the sunshine in Giverny, France, visiting Monet’s house and garden. I think it’s a sign of ageing that I enjoy the nostalgia of a place such as this, that and it’s cute, old world french-ness. He lived here for forty-three years from 1883 to 1926 and I love […]
Read more >