1975 | Cambridge College of Art. 18+ Foundation |
1979 – 1983 | Chesterfield College of Art & Design. C&G Part 1 and 2 Embroidery. Dist. |
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1988 | Cert. Ed in FE. Huddersfield University |
1983 – 1993 | Part Time and Fractional Post teaching for the Sheffield College, Chesterfield College of Art and West Nottinghamshire College. |
1993 – 2000 | Full time lecturer, the Sheffield College |
1993 – 2003 | Course Co-ordinator OCN Access to Art and Design |
1996 - - cont | Textile Study Group membership |
2000 -2008 | Fractional posts, Sheffield College |
2000 - cont | Tutor to textiles group, Mainly Stitch. |
2003 - 2008. | Personal tutor, textiles tutor HND Design Crafts, HND Fine Art |
18+ Foundation, Access to HE | |
C&G Embroidery | |
2008 – 14 | Mentor and tutor to Sheffield Mentor Group |
2009 | Summer School, Stirling University. |
2009 | Art in Action, workshops |
2010 | Embroiderer’s Guild Eastern Region Summer School |
2010 | Textile Study Group Summer School Tutor |
2007 - 2011 | Distance Learning Tutor, BA Hons Textiles. |
2009 - 2011 | MA Textiles Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University |
2011 - cont | Freelance exhibiting and teaching |
2014 | Member Sheffield Printmakers |
2014 - cont | Mentor to Edge Group Scotland |
2015 - 2018 | Exhibitions organiser and curator Textile Study Group |
2016 - cont | Tutor to Textile Group Chesterfield |
I taught art, design and textiles in college for many years whilst maintaining my own practise. The stimulus of teaching was also part of my continuing art education with the need to motivate students often generating new ideas and ways of working with diverse materials. I do much less teaching now but it is still a powerfully motivating force for me.
Returning to study in 2009 on an MA Textiles course at Manchester School of Art provided an opportunity to explore the context and ideas around my work in greater depth. The experience of a late MA has been very rewarding and revealed links between my work and life that I had previously not suspected, opening up freer ways of working as well as confirming the importance of drawing in my practise.
Previous training in stitched textiles gives me deep technical knowledge and problem solving skills but recent work has become simpler, more restrained and powerful. Quality of line and mark are always crucial but I feel confident about working with whatever materials and methods will express my ideas. Heavy materials such as wood, glass and ceramic shards are often contrasted with fine threads, semi-transparent fabrics and drawn thread structures. This approach was encouraged by collaboration with a glass artist, originally on commissions for stained glass windows but recently on more innovative, experimental work combining glass with textiles.
I enjoy collaboration with museum collections, the stimulus of unexpected objects sparks new ideas and connecting thoughts about display and the placing of work.
Living away from a city has limitations but my sources are close at hand and having a studio at my home allows me to work at whatever time of day or night seems right. Being surrounded by countryside has an effect on my work, not always obvious to a viewer, but cycles of life, growth and plant structure are often in mind.