SARAH

I studied Fine Art sculpture originally, at Portsmouth Poly, primarily working in metals. I exhibited widely as a sculptor for the next five years, but chanced on feltmaking during a Post Grad in Textiles at Goldsmiths College London. I became entranced by the process, possibilities and of course, the polar opposite medium to what I had previously worked on.

I taught for ten years at Portsmouth and Southampton University ( Foundation ), and after moving to Wales , at Hereford Art College for a while.

Developing my work alongside teaching I finally decided to concentrate solely on making and moved to Brewery Arts, where I was a resident maker for 12 years. The felt making became my primary focus, and I have always tried to incorporate drawing skills within the medium.....which at times is simply 'painting with wool'.

Some works emerge from a collaboration of ideas and sources; my reasons for example for creating a series of similar objects was a kind of feeling that they were together, but apart. Whether with domestic paraphernalia or natural images, creating a 'set' of objects is quite intriguing particularly with the unpredictable process of felting. From collections of antique fans, to a bead stall in India, fossils on a Dorset beach to Christmas decorations - it is the variety within a form I am fascinated by .... For the large touring exhibition I worked on , called simply ‘Collections’ , this came into its own. Created originally for a show at Brook Street Pottery gallery , Hay on Wye ,  it toured to the glorious Museum InThe Park , Stroud  the following year. Including works inspired by some museum

From being a resident maker at New Brewery Arts, Cirencester for12 years, and honing this craft towards creating large scale hangings, I now work from my studio to commission, for exhibition and selling through a few galleries/ shops.

I have recently moved to the Stroud area, the spiritual home of textiles and now work from the Three Storeys Studios in Nailsworth.

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detail ( above ) from ' Border'

hand rolled felt 'Iris' wallhanging - merino fleeces , silk fibres 

( for Brian and Verity Thornton , Priors Mesne , Gloucestershire )