Threads in Sheds: Wall II

Stars, Dreams
Jackie Bennett

36 x 36 cm; wool, silk, viscose, cotton weft; wool warp
jackietapestry@gmail.com

This work was woven in response to the collection at Ditchling Museum, Sussex. Inspired by Seb Lester's calligraphic quote from Van Gogh, the colour palette and imagery are directly influenced by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. The black woollen warp is in recognition of a large woven hanging, 'Dream Revealed' by Tadek Beutlich, in the collection. I wove 'Stars' in silk, from a Victorian letterpress cartoon, and 'Dreams' is rendered in Braille stars so that it can be read by touch.

The Silk Route
Carolyn Perry

29 x 85 cm; silk noile, como silk, sari waste, kibisu silk, wool
carolynperry1947@gmail.com

Silk was traded across the world from China, a luxury item for those of status. I wanted to evoke that journey across land including imagery of rough roads, simplified buildings and patterns taken from more complex woven silk fabrics. I have used a range of thicknesses and qualities, including silk noil, Como silk, sari waste and kibisu silk and included some fine wool to balance the colour. I chose the diagonal imagery to emphasise the traversing of the traders.

Riches
Jane Riley

30 x 160 cm; handspun silk and ramie, merino wool; cotton warp; wire, velvet, stoneware bowls and gold leaf
jane.riley1@virginmedia.com

When I first considered weaving a piece inspired by and using silk I immediately thought of its use as a luxury, celebratory fibre in many different religions around the world. Its high status and value, inspired awe and reverence.

I have used tapestry and ceramics to create a banner and bowls, open to interpretation by the viewer. The woven banner has as its subject matter seaweed suspended in water; the bowls are based on the holdfasts that anchor certain seaweeds to the seabed.

Contrast: silk & steel
Mike Wallace

41 x 60 cm; steel; silk weft; linen warp
mikewallaceuk@yahoo.co.uk

The inspiration and appeal of this piece of work is the contrast of hard, cold steel and the soft, warm silk. The steel frame has been created by the artist, the warp is linen and almost all of the weft is silk with a few silk blends. Selection of the thread and the pattern/knots has tried to enhance and display the qualities of the threads.

Sand Patterns
Jane Brunning

40 x 40 cm; nettle, tussah silk, linen, silk, cotton fabric, paper yarn, lurex weft; black mohair warp
janebrunning1952@gmail.com

I was inspired by one of my beach designs to create this tapestry. To create movement within the tapestry, shapes and lines are wrapped. In some areas the warp is left exposed to create a sense of depth.

Silk Road
Sarah McLean

37 x 16 cm; silk and rug wool weft; black cotton warp
sarah.s.mclean@gmail.com

The inspiration for the colours in this tapestry came from observing, in an exhibition by George Baselitz, how yellow can glow like gold on a black background. The pure silk, without blending, highlights the lustre of the silk threads. A glimpse on Instagram of a winding road led me to think of the many paths the silk travelled to the West.

Silk is used in tapestries and textiles, so I wove the undulating twill in a free form way to represent both.

Image: Barry McLean

Protected Shell
Claire Buckley

35 x 40 cm; shredded silk fabrics, silk, mixed fibres weft; linen warp
clairebuckleytextiles@gmail.com

The work is woven with silk threads blended with other fibres. The shell pinks, creams and green/blue/greys resonate with the seascape. Silk is used for the details in the shell structure, which is encapsulated in a supportive network. Shredded soft silk fabrics give a lightness of touch in re-weaving after being torn, the thread ends peek out and the undulating form extends and distorts the edges. Woven insertion embroidery stitches join the sections giving an open structure.

Untitled
Lorna C Goldsmith

40 x 40 cm; silk, wool, linen, banana fibre,rubber tyre
goldsmithic@gmail.com

In this work materials build textures and effects that are created by light and shadow and build up a depth to the structures of the weave that are both subtle and expansive. Silk and wool can be found in different shades of white from an almost golden shade in tussah to the whiteness of a rough fell fleece.

Silk can be smooth and lustrous. In contrast the rubber tyre is dark, matt and has a three-dimensional quality.

Hidden
Elizabeth Chester

83 x 140 cm; wool, silk weft; cotton warp
artchester@btinternet.com

In July 2020, we were allowed to go outdoors again after the first Covid19 lockdown, and I could once again enjoy the beauty of our natural world. A first impression was sketched, and with little thought, I drew a heron's head poking out of the foliage. It became a focal point for the image.

I used silk for highlights. It catches the light differently from the wool which adds a slight sense of movement or a twinkle.