There was a Bridge

Hand woven fine silk wall hanging

The white clay earth of Basilicata, worn and wrinkled with the marks of time. The Sauro river, low in the valley, forming deep grooves. Hot sun, burning fissures crazily in the baking mud. Sharp and barren ridges which inexorably draw the eye are re-imagined here in weave. Here is a landscape of ancient stories where long forgotten footsteps trod, children balancing on boulders, feet dusty in the summer heat.

The Shore Was Closer Than I remembered

Hand woven silk wall hanging

Bringing together notions of the Sea, and of the Journey, this woven silk hanging references important places in my life. It interprets the unearthing of ancient artefacts, It hints at weaving adventures I have undertaken. It combines land and seascapes of of places I love - the West Coast of Wales, Southern Ireland, Southern Italy…

Fragments of a traditional pattern surface momentarily and are hidden once more – hidden beneath the waves or the furrowed earth.

The Journey Was Long

Hand woven fine silk wall hanging

The mountains blend into cloud. Through a faint haze, an uncertain sun casts its shimmering light on the wetlands. Landmasses rise to greet the arid Badlands. The earth is strange and obscured. The route is winding, the land is boggy now, and the journey is long…

Taking a Breath | Out of the Storm

Hand woven silk wall hanging

Heavily influenced by the separation of family for critical life events, this hanging, from my body of work Over Sea Over There interprets the fabric of relationships through the metaphor of the sea.

This piece acknowledges our weariness when in turbulent waters. It depicts the quieter moments of rest and those precious periods of calm. Over time and a journey, the waves in this work lessen and relax, as indeed we do, until all is peace once more.

Through careful use of patterning I seek to capture, in the mind’s eye, the correlation between our shape-shifting emotions and the changing moods of the sea.

The Streets of L’Aquila | After the Rain

Hand woven wall hanging | Silk, British Wool, Other fibres

Celebrating L'Aquila, and one of a small collection, this work reimagines the shutters, scaffolding, hot and sleepy mid-day sun and deep shadows of this ancient city. The blues are drawn from notions of rain splashing up on lower walls of buildings - hinting at streams and lakes in the valleys below.

About the L’Aquila Weavings:

These L’Aquila weavings suggest both strength and fragility. They draw inspiration from the warmth and resilience of the people after the devastating earthquake of 2009 which caused the death of so many, many loved ones and the destruction of thousands of homes. They express my own ideas of courage and weariness alongside this darkness and light. The design process has been informed by the aesthetics of L’Aquila where the strange beauty of the scaffolding and structural support is still required many years on. The juxtaposition of the new buildings and those still needing restoration is both sadly haunting and also life affirming.

The Streets of L’Aquila | Sun and ShaDows

Hand woven wall hanging | Silk and British Wool

This monochrome work is a woven remembering of Italian summers in the hot sun. It is based on my drawings and paintings of the ancient hill city of L’Aquila, central Italy, and is one of a small collection.

The work reimagines the deep deep shadows that only the brightest sun creates. Through careful use of woven structures the patterning allows us to imagine people in the darkness. Some are busy in semi-shaded rooms - the shutters not-quite closed. We read the shading of sun-bleached blinds and the curtains in the limp breeze.

Here too can be seen the scaffolds and cranes of construction - holding together as they do, the past and future at once.

About the L’Aquila Weavings:

These L’Aquila weavings suggest both strength and fragility. They draw inspiration from the warmth and resilience of the people after the devastating earthquake of 2009 which caused the death of so many, many loved ones and the destruction of thousands of homes. They express my own ideas of courage and weariness alongside this darkness and light. The design process has been informed by the aesthetics of L’Aquila where the strange beauty of the scaffolding and structural support is still required today. The juxtaposition of new building and those still needing restoration is both sadly haunting and also life affirming.