My studio is a ‘bit of a tip’. Unlike our inglorious prime minister I won’t be asking somebody to pay for eye-wateringly expensive wallpaper to make it look pretty. Because my tip is a glorious tip! Everything has been moved about so that I can photograph some new pieces. Which is a sign that not only have I been creating new pieces but that I love them!

Because I work intuitively with my fabrics the early pieces in a new series are often not quite right or are, frankly, rubbish, and they don’t always get photographed. That was certainly the case with the Cadence series but then I was starting from a low point in terms of my artistic confidence. My new series has been fermenting inside my head for quite some time but I only unleashed it onto fabric once I had regained confidence in my creative process. There have been a few false starts, and yes I have printed (and thrown away) some butt ugly fabric, but I am actually rather pleased with the first two finished pieces. I’m not quite ready to share images of the full quilts but I am ready to talk about my inspirations and to tease you with a couple of images.

My new series is called Artefact. It is inspired by our relationship with man-made objects, especially those made with material taken straight from the earth and shaped into tools and decorative objects. Those objects which are collected and proudly displayed; those which are passed down within families; those that tell us about our past; and those that are lost to us. As a source of inspiration this has the potential to go in many different directions but I’m starting by referencing the vases and pots made by Pilkington Tile & Pottery Company. Their manufacturing site, which is now derelict, is only a few miles from where I live and I remember when their factory shop selling cheap tiles was still open. As with my Ruins series and my series on coal mining I like to work on subjects to which I feel some connection. And, as always I am inspired by our industrial heritage. In the detail shot below I used a breakdown printing technique to print the vase. I used a variety of printing techniques to create the fabrics used to make the background. I hope you like the result as much as I do!

New Year, New Art!