My textile craft practice revolves round reflection, experimentation and creative play; central to this is the environment where I work on a small Scottish island. Here the weather is elemental in its effects on the shoreline where wind and water constantly alter its appearance. These changes, the surfaces they throw up, are my sources of inspiration and my need to visualize them constantly impacts on my creative practice.
The methods I use to explore these changes in surface qualities are based on traditional textile techniques such as painting, printing, stitch and collage on fabric. However the combination of these with digital technology is allowing me to develop ideas more quickly and in greater depth than before.
The integration of tacit knowledge of textile crafting skills, digital photography and wide format digital printing is opening up new worlds of expression and communication. Through collaborating with fellow textile artists and researchers, I have developed an interest in reflecting on my practice and found its value in developing a 'new voice' for my future artworks. The outcome of this reflection is an experimental body of work, which seeks to illustrate the transitional phases of the shoreline. The resulting work takes the form of several pieces in printed/painted/manipulated silk, both three and two dimensional, wall mounted/suspended, which interact and resemble the transformations occurring along a specific tideline on a Scottish island.
My painted/printed textiles have evolved over the years from decorative and illustrative surface pattern into more abstracted forms. Living on the Isle of Arran has influenced my conscious awareness of the metaphysical qualities of the land and sea and how this affects the transient way we view our world. Erosion, exposed layers suspended in time are a special focus.