exploring the mystery of nature with painting & embroidery & mosaic
‘Peacock on a Hilltop’ is a small silk painting embroidered by machine using free machine embroidery and by hand too. I’ve used some rayon and stranded cotton threads for the hand stitching (feather stitch and fly stitch. I’ve added lots and lots of sequins to build up the layers of textures especially on the …
This mosaic hearth project was designed to be both decorative and practical. In one corner of the hearth, there were some quarry tiles which had been damaged by having heavy logs dumped on them. Digging out all of the quarry tiles wasn’t really an option so covering them seemed to be the best idea. The …
The 100ft Mosaic Project. In July of 2016, I was assistant artist to Caroline Jariwala of Mango Mosaics. We worked on a Community Art Project called the 100ft Mosaic Project at Yardley Wood Community Primary School, Birmingham, UK. There were 15 panels in all which were designed to be installed on a wall outside. The …
I completed a commission to decorate some mosaic pots for the Festival Theatre at the Royal Horticultural Society Spring Festival at Malvern, Worcestershire. My friend Hannah Genders was asked to design and landscape the Festival Theatre and the mosaic pots were part of the display. The Festival Theatre was the venue for the Celebrity guests …
This little kingfisher started out as a very vague silk painting. I used acrylic inks to create a mottled background and the rough outline of the bird. I wanted the bird to merge with the background to some degree, so I didn’t make the outline too crisp. I had an idea in my head of …
My mother was the first person to really help and inspire me with embroidery. She was the one who made me my first sewing kit, some of which I still have. A little felt needle case in the shape of a hat, the crown holding a thimble, a cover for a small pair of scissors …
I’ve tried to recapture the sense of decoration and opulence I experience while visiting the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. There was so much pattern everywhere, it was quite overwhelming. Not only were there mosaics but also very elaborate plasterwork, and patterned wooden doors with large metal studs. There were also beautiful gardens full of flowers …
I love sparrows, the sound of them chirping in garrulous clouds in bushes and thickets and under house eves. I decided I wanted to make something based on the sparrows that used to come into the garden we had when I was a child and hang on the red hot poker bush, picking at the …
Shimmer shimmer shimmer. It’s taking forever to “sequinize” this peacock embroidery.
I’ve submitted three pieces of textile work to the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Friends’ Autumn exhibition – Brown Grasses, Yellow Spike and Underbrush Bird and they have been accepted! The exhibition runs from Weds 28th August to Sat 7th September. The private view is on Thursday 29th August 6pm – 8pm. I’m looking forward to …