The textile menagerie of Bryony Rose Jennings is filled with a variety of ‘beasties’, whose charms are irresistible. From mice to owls to rabbits and foxes, each of her figures has something to say with a wink and a nod. Bryony’s purposeful use of reclaimed textiles to create her creatures adds to their appeal. Nothing is off limits, including upholstery fabrics, lace, velvet, barkcloth, silk and old wool blankets. Bryony believes the prior lives embedded in the vintage fabrics she uses add to her creature’s personalities and stories. And we think you’ll wholeheartedly agree. It’s important ..read more

As artists we don’t have to look far for inspiration. Nature in all its resplendent glory – and never far from our door – offers us a wealth of inspiration. When Elisabeth Rutt goes outdoors, she looks up, around and down, finding all the texture, colour and form she needs to create a unique piece of art. Influenced by the landscape, the ever changing skies and weather, Elisabeth selects from her favourite textile techniques to interpret the shapes and linear patterns she sees. She applies her individual stamp by developing her own fabrics – especially by dry felting with an embellisher – or ..read more

It’s said that curiosity is the mother of invention – and it’s certainly the driver behind Angie Hughes’ richly layered textiles. This mixed media artist never knows how a piece is going to turn out. Her willingness to let go of outcomes, combined with a life-long curiosity to explore ‘what happens if…’ opens up a world of possibilities. Angie’s emphasis on process takes time and she freely admits it can seem muddled, but it’s a fertile place from which inspiration and ideas emerge. Angie explores collage and components, working through ideas before moving onto fabric and stitch, as well as ..read more

Did you know that medieval embroidery can be humorous and a little risqué? Take a look at Tanya Bentham’s unique portrayals and you might be surprised at what you see. As she got to grips with the laid and couched work and rich lustre of silk filament threads, Tanya discovered plenty of material in the 13th and 14th century images that appealed to her quirky sense of humour. So much so, that her third book on the subject is called Naughty Medieval Embroidery. Tanya was first attracted to medieval embroidery in her teens, well before how-to books or YouTube tutorials were widely available. A ..read more

Mary Beth Schwartzenberger intends to make a scene. Literally. She loves filling blank walls with what she calls ‘roomscapes’ that transform rooms and transport viewers. These large paintings are covered with thousands of stitches – the result is a mixed media experience that sets her apart in the textile art world. Mary Beth became interested in creating art for the home and workspaces while working at an art framing shop. As she interacted with a variety of interior designers, Mary Beth soon recognised the power of art to establish a mood as soon as one entered a room. And the bigger the a ..read more

‘There is beauty in everything, Just not everybody sees it.’ Andy Warhol In the eyes of textile artist Kate Whitehead, there is beauty in all things. But Kate focuses her attention not on the obviously beautiful, but on the forgotten, the overlooked and the abandoned. Despairing at how textiles are consumed in Western society, as she witnesses clothing mindlessly dumped and an advertising industry that insists on imposing identities upon us, Kate’s work forges a rebellion in the opposite direction. Kate favours slower processes as she embraces traditional methods of making. Her materials gar ..read more

Mixed-media artist Alison Carpenter-Hughes’ work could be described as extreme stitching. She specialises in free motion embroidery and textiles and delights in depicting the unexpected. Whether it’s pushing boundaries of scale – embellishing the façade of her house with a huge textile for example – or capturing the intimacy of a mother nursing her baby. Alison shares how she has learnt the value of taking risks. She actively creates and seizes opportunities in order to develop her work and grow as an artist, as well as support others. She relishes the freedom of working in mixed media and h ..read more

When she’s not in her studio, Lindsay Olson can often be found canoeing with her husband on one of Chicago’s many waterways. It was through this intimate connection with watery places that her love of science was awakened. Lindsay is an artist with a science-based practice. Partnering with scientists and laboratories, she learns how science supports our modern culture, and then translates what she discovers into embroidered textile art.  Through a residency with The Wetlands Initiative, Lindsay gained new knowledge about restoring wetlands and the associated increases in biodiversity. S ..read more

Born in Hong Kong and now resident in London, Nicole Chui describes herself as a messy, brash and disruptive artist specialising in freestyle hand embroidery. Chui is all about breaking with the conventions and expectations of tradition – her goal being to disrupt perfection and inspire others to embrace their raw emotions – as well as to create spaces where the underrepresented can make new memories. And she puts her money where her mouth is – Nicole is also the co-founder of London based football club, Baesianz FC – a space where women, trans and non-binary people of Asian heritage can pla ..read more

‘History is written by the victors.’ Winston Churchill The recorded history of slavery and its impact in the United States has been diluted and misrepresented since Reconstruction. Textbooks and other academic resources have presented majority group interpretations of what happened, and now current attempts to suggest otherwise are fueling heated censorship battles across US schools, libraries, museums and more. Stephen Towns grew up learning a distilled presentation of his ancestors’ history, and he’s now committed to helping raise awareness of what really happened. Relying upon extensive in ..read more