I have dabbled with creative activities all my life, narrowly missed art school (my choice) and it has taken a very long time to channel all that dabbling in one direction. There are always so many other directions I want to dabble in and I may never have got into silk painting had it not been for a chance find of a beginners kit in my local charity shop.
I was drawn to silk painting by the vibrant colours and the way the dye flows on the silk, blending and creating unique effects. I first tried batik when I was at school. I like the unpredictability of paint on silk so the addition of hot wax resist is not just to contain the colour but to add an extra dimension of pattern and texture.
Since I started exhibiting 6 or 7 years ago I have branched out with various media including water based oil paint and acrylic with collage, on subjects including landscapes and still lifes. Lock down found me returning to textiles and hand stitching and this has grown over the last few months. I have got immersed in layering fabrics, often translucent and sometimes on a batik background, then adding a further layer of machine and hand stitching. I love the resulting depth of colour, pattern and texture and how the fabrics reflect the light.
I have started on a relatively small scale, but look forward to trying something bigger in the near future!
I am inspired by nature - I love flowers, skies, trees, being in the countryside and by the sea, reminding me of where I grew up in Scotland.
I teach workshops in silk painting and batik, please contact me on my email address for dates and details.