Artist Residency and Solo Exhibition
As part of a residency opportunity awarded by Bannatynes Hotel and Pure Arts Group in May 2024 I installed an exhibition of 16 pieces of my textile artwork. The exhibition entitled ‘The Wood From the Trees’ explores trees in all their beauty from landscape views to details of their bark and leaves. New work created for this residency includes a series of textile pieces framed in oak based on ancient trees oak, yew and laurel, many photographed in the extensive grounds of the Hotel.
Researching their historical symbolism reveals the importance trees held for ancient cultures and the crucial role they play in the preservation of our life and environment today. Symbolism including renewal (yew), wisdom, peace and protection (laurel) and strength and resilience (oak). A series of five pieces were framed by Blackshed Studio Bespoke Framers in Kent who used a beautiful oak in a deep frame, float mounted with anti-reflective glass to really enhance the textile qualities of the artwork and their connection to natural materials.
Many of the framed pieces are painted with natural botanical dyes, which I learnt to use in a natural dyeing collective led by Jenny Dean at Ditchling Museum of Art & Craft. Sustainability and nature are a focus in both my artwork and my academic research linked to the development of a natural dye garden on the BA Textile Degree at Northbrook College.
Pieces including ‘Yew Tree Bark Red’, ‘Yew Tree Bark Gold’, ‘Oaks & Grasses’ are batiks. As a member of The Batik Guild I promote the ancient craft of batik wax resist through my art and teaching. I am running a two day workshop at Sussex Prairie Gardens on 9th & 10th August. The process of working with molten wax and botanical dyes on silk seems to suit beautifully the marks and colours from details of ancient yew tree bark. I learnt through my research that particularly bright colours can be seen in the bark of more ancient tree specimens. The photos I took came from a grove of ancient yews at Kingley Vale in West Sussex.
The exhibition also includes some new textile panels of my photographs of trees, digitally printed onto linen with some hand embroidered details. Photography and walking in nature form the starting point for much of my work.
You can hear me talk about my work in a recorded interview with Pure Founder Lesley Samms at www.pureartsgroup.co.uk. I hope you have the opportunity to visit and see the exhibition which is on until 23rd June 2024.
For further information to buy or commission work please go to www.pureartsgroup.co.uk/exhibitions or look for me on www. artsy.co.uk
With thanks to Lesley Samms, Pure Arts Group,Bannatyne Hotel,
Kenton Lowe at Blackshed Bespoke Framing and
Ed Watts Bespoke Framing in Worthing.