The Artists
Bethan Ash
I’m a textile artist living and working in Neath, South Wales. My formal training was in fashion, where I specialised in shoe design.
I became interested in quilt making following the birth of my son back in 1977. I started making art quilts in 1980 and consequently have been making them for a very long time!
I love colour for its vibrant and intense nature and enjoy exploring its contrasts. I have a strong belief in the power of colour therapy in uplifting the spirit and like using colours that are often believed to not work well together.
In doing this I hope to break down the boundaries of what we should do and explore the freedom that is so often lost in art when we are no longer children.
My work is strongly influenced by social and popular culture that most of us can relate to, such as consumer goods, the environment, popular culture and dieting. I am also inspired by urban and natural forms, and by mixing a combination of social issues and abstract ideas with colour and texture.
I exhibit my work worldwide and it can be found in international private and public collections.
I have published books on art quilt making, won international awards and have been employed to work with the public on interactive quilt projects.
I’m a textile artist living and working in Neath, South Wales. My formal training was in fashion, where I specialised in shoe design.
I became interested in quilt making following the birth of my son back in 1977. I started making art quilts in 1980 and consequently have been making them for a very long time!
I love colour for its vibrant and intense nature and enjoy exploring its contrasts. I have a strong belief in the power of colour therapy in uplifting the spirit and like using colours that are often believed to not work well together.
In doing this I hope to break down the boundaries of what we should do and explore the freedom that is so often lost in art when we are no longer children.
My work is strongly influenced by social and popular culture that most of us can relate to, such as consumer goods, the environment, popular culture and dieting. I am also inspired by urban and natural forms, and by mixing a combination of social issues and abstract ideas with colour and texture.
I exhibit my work worldwide and it can be found in international private and public collections.
I have published books on art quilt making, won international awards and have been employed to work with the public on interactive quilt projects.
Louise Baldwin
Louise has exhibited her work throughout Britain, in America, Japan, Holland and Germany. She has work in private and public collections including the Crafts Council and is an exhibiting member of The 62 Group of textile artists and Contemporary Applied Arts.
'I am interested in how we absorb knowledge and life’s experiences; selecting out the bits that resonate for us, sometimes carefully, other times by accident. It's what makes us who we are.
Connections are made between the most seemingly random things, cell structures, pattern, text and mark. They are like the bits of information, memories and desires that float around our brains waiting to surface. Fabric and stitch seem to be the most obvious materials to use as we are bound to cloth in so many ways. Life is strange and difficult and funny.'
Louise has exhibited her work throughout Britain, in America, Japan, Holland and Germany. She has work in private and public collections including the Crafts Council and is an exhibiting member of The 62 Group of textile artists and Contemporary Applied Arts.
'I am interested in how we absorb knowledge and life’s experiences; selecting out the bits that resonate for us, sometimes carefully, other times by accident. It's what makes us who we are.
Connections are made between the most seemingly random things, cell structures, pattern, text and mark. They are like the bits of information, memories and desires that float around our brains waiting to surface. Fabric and stitch seem to be the most obvious materials to use as we are bound to cloth in so many ways. Life is strange and difficult and funny.'
Cas Holmes
I trained in fine arts and work between the disciplines of painting, drawing and textiles. Salvaged materials are torn, cut and re-assembled to create mixed media pieces which draw their inspiration from 'hidden' or 'overlooked' observations of daily life.
I like to use the 'remnants' of domestic life, rags and cloths, pieces of old clothing which are handled and worn, evidencing 'human contact.'
I make reference to the views from our windows, the weeds and flora on the verges of our roadsides, and field edges, and the places where our gardens meet the 'greater landscape.
This relationship between ‘Urban' and 'Nature' has been informed by stories of my Romany grandmother, old and forgotten textiles, and the natural cycle of growth, decay and renewal. Working with 'stitch sketching', I seek to capture a moment or thing before it is gone.
I produce artworks for public and private spaces and am represented in major collections including Arts Council England, Museum of Art and Design New York and the Embroiderer's Guild.
www.casholmes.co.uk
I trained in fine arts and work between the disciplines of painting, drawing and textiles. Salvaged materials are torn, cut and re-assembled to create mixed media pieces which draw their inspiration from 'hidden' or 'overlooked' observations of daily life.
I like to use the 'remnants' of domestic life, rags and cloths, pieces of old clothing which are handled and worn, evidencing 'human contact.'
I make reference to the views from our windows, the weeds and flora on the verges of our roadsides, and field edges, and the places where our gardens meet the 'greater landscape.
This relationship between ‘Urban' and 'Nature' has been informed by stories of my Romany grandmother, old and forgotten textiles, and the natural cycle of growth, decay and renewal. Working with 'stitch sketching', I seek to capture a moment or thing before it is gone.
I produce artworks for public and private spaces and am represented in major collections including Arts Council England, Museum of Art and Design New York and the Embroiderer's Guild.
www.casholmes.co.uk
Christine Howell
I have recently graduated with a Masters in Fine Art at West Dean College, with an emphasis on minimal, abstract, contemporary textile art. I specialise in using felt making techniques, combining wool with textiles and papers, to create the ground for my artwork. I respond to the felted base layers to develop the depth and interpretation within the work with multiple paint, ink and stitch marks giving an intense surface detail.
My inspiration comes from being in places with broad, expansive landscapes with an endless horizon.
My work seeks to convey the mood or atmosphere of the sublime in the landscape, using a limited and muted colour palette. The focussed time spent in the process of making and capturing the atmosphere of a place in a textured monochrome is an important part of my artistic process. I hope that when the viewer looks at my work it takes then to their inner place of calm.
Whilst I have had a love of making and textiles for a long time, it is only recently that I have been able to explore this passion full time. In March 2023 I enjoyed an artist residency in Iceland, where I have been able to work on a new body of work, inspired by the elemental land and seascapes.
I have recently graduated with a Masters in Fine Art at West Dean College, with an emphasis on minimal, abstract, contemporary textile art. I specialise in using felt making techniques, combining wool with textiles and papers, to create the ground for my artwork. I respond to the felted base layers to develop the depth and interpretation within the work with multiple paint, ink and stitch marks giving an intense surface detail.
My inspiration comes from being in places with broad, expansive landscapes with an endless horizon.
My work seeks to convey the mood or atmosphere of the sublime in the landscape, using a limited and muted colour palette. The focussed time spent in the process of making and capturing the atmosphere of a place in a textured monochrome is an important part of my artistic process. I hope that when the viewer looks at my work it takes then to their inner place of calm.
Whilst I have had a love of making and textiles for a long time, it is only recently that I have been able to explore this passion full time. In March 2023 I enjoyed an artist residency in Iceland, where I have been able to work on a new body of work, inspired by the elemental land and seascapes.
Jessica Grady
Jessica is a contemporary embroidery artist who works from her home studio just outside Leeds, West Yorkshire. Her colourful and contemporary work has been exhibited in various galleries across the UK and Europe and she is also a member of the Crafts Council’s Makers directory.
She was awarded the Embroiderers Guild Scholar in 2018/19.
Jessica also speaks about her creative practice and teaches workshops across the country in schools, universities and for private organisations.
Her designs are a textural and visual feast, combining bold colour and clusters of embellished treasure that is created from a combination of waste and recycled materials.
Jessica uses various processes including printing, foiling, dyeing and melting to transform what others perceive to be rubbish into tactile and creative embellishments. All of her designs are hand stitched; Jessica uses traditional stitches in contemporary colours and patterns, flecking fabrics with bold neon lines and metallic loops.
Colour is an important aspect of her work – her designs are fearless in their use of strong colours, creating a very vivid and saturated colour palette. Jessica’s inspiration is derived from zoomed in views of surface texture details such as peeling paint, barnacles and rusting metal.
Her sculptural textiles provide a statement in any interior space.
Images credit: Proud Fox Creative.
www.jessicagrady.co.uk
Jessica is a contemporary embroidery artist who works from her home studio just outside Leeds, West Yorkshire. Her colourful and contemporary work has been exhibited in various galleries across the UK and Europe and she is also a member of the Crafts Council’s Makers directory.
She was awarded the Embroiderers Guild Scholar in 2018/19.
Jessica also speaks about her creative practice and teaches workshops across the country in schools, universities and for private organisations.
Her designs are a textural and visual feast, combining bold colour and clusters of embellished treasure that is created from a combination of waste and recycled materials.
Jessica uses various processes including printing, foiling, dyeing and melting to transform what others perceive to be rubbish into tactile and creative embellishments. All of her designs are hand stitched; Jessica uses traditional stitches in contemporary colours and patterns, flecking fabrics with bold neon lines and metallic loops.
Colour is an important aspect of her work – her designs are fearless in their use of strong colours, creating a very vivid and saturated colour palette. Jessica’s inspiration is derived from zoomed in views of surface texture details such as peeling paint, barnacles and rusting metal.
Her sculptural textiles provide a statement in any interior space.
Images credit: Proud Fox Creative.
www.jessicagrady.co.uk
Rosie James
My work involves using the sewing machine as a drawing tool. As I stitch I leave threads loose to create a scribbly style of drawing. I also use hand stitched elements to piece together the images and to create a grid surrounding the figures.
Drawing and mark making is developed from photographs taken of groups of people out and about. The camera can still the movement and allow a more detailed look at the individual.
Stitch is used as the medium with which to explore these images because it has a connection to craft and the hand made. It gives the work a texture and movement, which is very different to anything you can get with a pencil. The marks created by the thread have a soft slightly fluffy texture, which can only be created by thread on cloth.
The loose threads create links between the figures and bring a kind of movement to the work.
Stitches created by the machine create a never ceasing line and it is this line which interests me. When forced to stop, loops and loose ends are left.
My current explorations involve the consideration of the separation of this line from its surface. So far this has lead to large-scale figurative drawings on transparent cloth, in which the stitched line seems to float above us.
www.rosiejames.com
My work involves using the sewing machine as a drawing tool. As I stitch I leave threads loose to create a scribbly style of drawing. I also use hand stitched elements to piece together the images and to create a grid surrounding the figures.
Drawing and mark making is developed from photographs taken of groups of people out and about. The camera can still the movement and allow a more detailed look at the individual.
Stitch is used as the medium with which to explore these images because it has a connection to craft and the hand made. It gives the work a texture and movement, which is very different to anything you can get with a pencil. The marks created by the thread have a soft slightly fluffy texture, which can only be created by thread on cloth.
The loose threads create links between the figures and bring a kind of movement to the work.
Stitches created by the machine create a never ceasing line and it is this line which interests me. When forced to stop, loops and loose ends are left.
My current explorations involve the consideration of the separation of this line from its surface. So far this has lead to large-scale figurative drawings on transparent cloth, in which the stitched line seems to float above us.
www.rosiejames.com
Edwina Mackinnon
I have stitched for as long as I can remember but it was when I moved to Worcestershire in the late 1980’s and took a City & Guilds course in embroidery, that textiles became my career.
Since then I have taught both embroidery and patchwork and quilting courses and many textile related workshops both at home and abroad.
I have exhibited in the UK, Europe and Canada independently and as a member of Six and Art Textiles:Made in Britain. I particularly like working with a theme and am always fascinated by the variety of work that is produced by group members.
I enjoy all aspects of quiltmaking including designing, dyeing and printing fabrics, constructing and finally embellishing with stitch. Most of my work is fabric led, as dyeing and printing a palette of fabrics is often the starting point for a new collection of work.
www.edwinamackinnon.studio
I have stitched for as long as I can remember but it was when I moved to Worcestershire in the late 1980’s and took a City & Guilds course in embroidery, that textiles became my career.
Since then I have taught both embroidery and patchwork and quilting courses and many textile related workshops both at home and abroad.
I have exhibited in the UK, Europe and Canada independently and as a member of Six and Art Textiles:Made in Britain. I particularly like working with a theme and am always fascinated by the variety of work that is produced by group members.
I enjoy all aspects of quiltmaking including designing, dyeing and printing fabrics, constructing and finally embellishing with stitch. Most of my work is fabric led, as dyeing and printing a palette of fabrics is often the starting point for a new collection of work.
www.edwinamackinnon.studio
Sandra Meech
Sandra Meech is a mixed media artist living in Somerset. Trained as a fine artist, most of her career was in magazine publishing as a illustrator and graphic designer both in Toronto, Canada and London UK.
She became interest in stitched textiles over 20 years ago.
It was during the Diploma in Stitched Textiles at Windsor that research was begun based on the landscape and traditions of the Inuit in Arctic Canada, a theme that was to be developed in one form or another for many years.
Global warming and the effects of climate change on forests and trees as well as in polar regions, has been seen in many series of work over the years. These pieces are often represented by a collage of transferred photo images, with painted and dyed cloth, stitched in layers. Often a layer of wireform is added for additional dimension.
Recent work, since moving to Somerset, has focused on the changing landscape on the Levels and the impact of the flooding of 2013-14. As a keen photographer, she took the opportunity to take many photos during the flooding and this has inspired many new pieces of work. Revisiting some print techniques, including collagraphs and monoprints with added marks, has been an exciting development and new work has been exhibited in Somerset Open Studios, and will be shown in future exhibitions in the UK.
Sandra has work in public and private collections and a full gallery of work can seen in any of her 4 books from Contemporary Quilts: Design, Surface and Stitch (2003) to the latest book, Connecting Design to Stitch. She is a member of Quilt Art, Studio21, and the South West Textile Group.
www.sandrameech.com
Sandra Meech is a mixed media artist living in Somerset. Trained as a fine artist, most of her career was in magazine publishing as a illustrator and graphic designer both in Toronto, Canada and London UK.
She became interest in stitched textiles over 20 years ago.
It was during the Diploma in Stitched Textiles at Windsor that research was begun based on the landscape and traditions of the Inuit in Arctic Canada, a theme that was to be developed in one form or another for many years.
Global warming and the effects of climate change on forests and trees as well as in polar regions, has been seen in many series of work over the years. These pieces are often represented by a collage of transferred photo images, with painted and dyed cloth, stitched in layers. Often a layer of wireform is added for additional dimension.
Recent work, since moving to Somerset, has focused on the changing landscape on the Levels and the impact of the flooding of 2013-14. As a keen photographer, she took the opportunity to take many photos during the flooding and this has inspired many new pieces of work. Revisiting some print techniques, including collagraphs and monoprints with added marks, has been an exciting development and new work has been exhibited in Somerset Open Studios, and will be shown in future exhibitions in the UK.
Sandra has work in public and private collections and a full gallery of work can seen in any of her 4 books from Contemporary Quilts: Design, Surface and Stitch (2003) to the latest book, Connecting Design to Stitch. She is a member of Quilt Art, Studio21, and the South West Textile Group.
www.sandrameech.com
Sylvia Paul
I studied painting at Colchester School of Art and Hockerill College of Education in the seventies and have been painting and exhibiting my work ever since.
My recent work includes oil paintings and mixed media collage on canvas in a range of subject matter including street scenes, landscape, still life and abstract work.
I have always enjoyed sewing and had a keen interest in textile art but it wasn’t until 2013 when I made my first piece.
My first textile wall hangings were displayed alongside my paintings at my solo exhibition in Nagoaka Japan in 2013. I made six hangings and around forty paintings of which many sold including five of the hangings. This first success with the textile pieces encouraged me to continue to develop this aspect of my art.
The exhibition in Japan was seen by representatives of the Tokomachi Quilt Festival and I was invited to have a small selection of textile pieces on display in 2014.
In 2015 I was invited back to this famous quilt festival where the whole town takes part and people come from all over Japan to see the quilts on display.
I am still painting but now also spend some of my time creating with fabric and stitch often inspired by my collection of Japanese kimono fabrics.
My experience as a painter has definitely helped my textile art and I am enjoying experimenting and learning some new techniques.
www.sylviapaul.com
I studied painting at Colchester School of Art and Hockerill College of Education in the seventies and have been painting and exhibiting my work ever since.
My recent work includes oil paintings and mixed media collage on canvas in a range of subject matter including street scenes, landscape, still life and abstract work.
I have always enjoyed sewing and had a keen interest in textile art but it wasn’t until 2013 when I made my first piece.
My first textile wall hangings were displayed alongside my paintings at my solo exhibition in Nagoaka Japan in 2013. I made six hangings and around forty paintings of which many sold including five of the hangings. This first success with the textile pieces encouraged me to continue to develop this aspect of my art.
The exhibition in Japan was seen by representatives of the Tokomachi Quilt Festival and I was invited to have a small selection of textile pieces on display in 2014.
In 2015 I was invited back to this famous quilt festival where the whole town takes part and people come from all over Japan to see the quilts on display.
I am still painting but now also spend some of my time creating with fabric and stitch often inspired by my collection of Japanese kimono fabrics.
My experience as a painter has definitely helped my textile art and I am enjoying experimenting and learning some new techniques.
www.sylviapaul.com
Stephanie Redfern
A ceramist for 20 years after leaving art college, I began working in textiles and mixed media in 2003.
My textile work starts with an interface of design and material. I paint and print many of my own fabrics, and construct my work using collage techniques, machine and hand stitch.
To these practices I have gradually added more media, enjoying the mix and opportunities afforded by the use of paper, found objects and ceramics.
My work is based upon the natural world, natural history and museum collections, and landscape. Many of the best things that happen in my art are a combination of personality, experience, life and the patterns and spaces that move me.
My work consists of artist's books, for which I also write the text, large wall hangings, and smaller pieces of textile work, which may be free hanging, framed or on canvas.
My latest book Stitched Textiles: Nature is a Search Press publication.
www.stephanieredfern.co.uk
Christine Restall
Christine Restall had a career as an international marketing and advertising executive, but during this time was also active as a part-time painter and quilt maker. She changed direction fifteen years ago to become a full time textile artist. She is now well-known in the UK and Europe, and her work is shown regularly in cutting edge exhibitions in UK, Europe and America. She has had a number of solo exhibitions in UK and abroad.
Her work is mostly abstract in expression, based on the natural world or her own feelings and memories, and sometimes with echoes of traditional forms which are used in new ways, and often employing her own hand-painted fabrics.
She also writes and teaches, and has wide experience of putting exhibitions together. She is a member of three exhibiting UK groups: ColourFX, Art Textiles - Made in Britain and By Design. Her work can be seen on
www.christinerestall.co.uk
.
Christine Restall had a career as an international marketing and advertising executive, but during this time was also active as a part-time painter and quilt maker. She changed direction fifteen years ago to become a full time textile artist. She is now well-known in the UK and Europe, and her work is shown regularly in cutting edge exhibitions in UK, Europe and America. She has had a number of solo exhibitions in UK and abroad.
Her work is mostly abstract in expression, based on the natural world or her own feelings and memories, and sometimes with echoes of traditional forms which are used in new ways, and often employing her own hand-painted fabrics.
She also writes and teaches, and has wide experience of putting exhibitions together. She is a member of three exhibiting UK groups: ColourFX, Art Textiles - Made in Britain and By Design. Her work can be seen on
www.christinerestall.co.uk
.
Sarah Waters
Sarah is a textile artist with a passion for feltmaking that originates from her love of sheep. Living in the New Forest, Hampshire, her work reflects her desire to connect with nature and the importance of sustainability. Earliest memories are of collecting pieces of wool caught on fences and twisting them into long threads.
Sheep, wool and farming are in her blood.
Using both traditional and innovative techniques she aims to show the diversity and qualities feltmaking can be taken to. She is passionate about using British Wool, which lends itself to a variety of disciplines within the textile world.
www.sarahwatersartist.com
Sarah is a textile artist with a passion for feltmaking that originates from her love of sheep. Living in the New Forest, Hampshire, her work reflects her desire to connect with nature and the importance of sustainability. Earliest memories are of collecting pieces of wool caught on fences and twisting them into long threads.
Sheep, wool and farming are in her blood.
Using both traditional and innovative techniques she aims to show the diversity and qualities feltmaking can be taken to. She is passionate about using British Wool, which lends itself to a variety of disciplines within the textile world.
www.sarahwatersartist.com
Ineke Berlyn