My textile ideas originate from painting many different subjects. At college I became interested in abstraction and, in particular, the use of exaggerated colour and texture to portray space, depth, movement and mood.

My textiles are indeed comparable to abstract paintings: Intensely coloured fabrics being the paint and textured materials/stitches being the brushstrokes.

The composition of my textile pictures is an intuitive process. I do not start with a picture in mind. I usually have some idea of the mood or effect I am trying to put across … a starting point… but the actual picture comes about through a process of collage and balance of colours, shapes and texture. It is a chain reaction… each placement of fabric or stitch prompting the next move , until I finally have an image I consider to be harmonious or complete.

Each textile composition I create incorporates many different types of fabric (e.g. silk, cotton, velvet, wool, chiffon etc.) including some that I hand dye or paint myself. I then embellish these fabrics using appliqué and contemporary stitch techniques (hand and machine) to produce innovative textural qualities. I try to combine differing surface textures and intense, contrasting colours to produce exciting visual effects.

I hope that my vibrant textile collages provoke an immediate sensory response in the viewer. As essentially abstract images, my fabric compositions are open to interpretation… and I enjoy hearing people’s interpretation of them. To me, they could be seen as imaginary landscapes, invented spaces or theatrical settings… in which colours and shapes take on a life of their own.