Throughout history, women have designed and created decorative works which were never seen outside the home. My mother was one of these women. She taught me the art of textile crafts - crafts that were useful and useable and decorative – an artform for visual and physical enjoyment. When these decorative items began to show signs of wear, they were mended, altered or re-purposed, never thrown away. My artistic practice draws on my learnt textile skills by using a bricolage of pre-loved fabric, or fabric scraps, used photo frames, crystal flowers, beads, and jewellery pieces, to highlight that old, used, and new resources can be combined to create an artform which extends memories whilst creating new memories.
My embroidery is free form, connecting and interacting with the materials being used. Each resource used contains some history or memory: fabrics and jewellery which were once worn and photo frames that once held photographs of someone dear. This history is a key element within my creative process. Colour is also an essential element within my work – creating a visual experience whilst transmitting energy, warmth, and happiness. The melding of old, used, and new resources create an artwork that showcases embroidery’s intricacies as an artform.
