My latest tapestry "shoreline circles" is now winging its way to the Bonhoga gallery in Shetland to take part in their "An Island Christmas" exhibition which runs from 4th November - 24th December 2021. Mum and I have been invited to take part along with three other Orkney creative makers so if you happen to be in Shetland over the next two months you can pop along to see my tapestry and some prints of both our artwork in person.
"Shoreline circles" is an exploration of circular repetition found on the Sand O' Wright beach in Hoxa: pebbles, limpets and scattered edges of waves.
"Shoreline circles"
size: approx. 60cm square/ 2ft square (not inc. painted wooden frame)
materials: cotton, linen, rayon and wool, woven on 8 warps per inch on cotton warp.
This tapestry follows on from my "found on the shore" sewn drawing series which I created a couple of years ago. I don't believe I'll ever tire of working from the Sand O' Wright beach; I am forever fascinated by repeating marks and shapes found within the shoreline.
The original drawing for "shoreline circles", seen in the first photoraph and also the foreground below, is acrylic paint and oil pastel on paper, 13.5cm square.
This tapestry was a completely different type of weaving compared to my previous piece, "Eynhallow, disappearing island" as it focussed more on quality of line and playing with surface texture rather than translating a multitude of subtle, painterly marks and colour blending. It tested different technical skills but the simplicity of the composition allowed me to work much quicker. After a run of more intricate, complicated tapestries it felt lovely to complete something within a few weeks rather than a few months.
