Driven
to
Abstraction
Boro
Boro are a class of Japanese textile that has been mended and patched together. It is typically made of linen, cotton and hemp and woven by peasants. Due to necessity these textiles were re-worked over and over with spare scraps to create many layers. In some cases these garments lasted for generations and the patina that emerges is beautiful and yet seemingly random. Usually the fabric was dyed with indigo, this being plentiful and cheap.
Inspired by a wonderful exhibit in London of antique boro textiles, i am fascinated by the depth of history found in these fabrics and the unusual surface pattern created by sewing random patches together. It gave me an idea to build paintings in a similar way, painting up layers and placing oddly shaped patches of colour, side by side sometimes only changing the tone of a certain colour by a tiny amount to create interest .I grew my own woad and did some experimenting with making a blue pigment and also ventured into seeing what an orange , or pink Boro would look like.
small blue boro. 44cm x 48cm. earth pigments,methcellulose glaze, on cradled wooden board
pink Boro. 50 x 60cm. Earth pigments , methcellulose glaze on cradled wooden panel
Westonfields Boro. 50x 60cm.Earth pigments on cradled wooden board
After Max Tilke-Boro Dress. 56 x 66cm. Earth pigments, collage, oil pastel on wooden cradled board
Ten Days-Earth Pigments on Linen on wood board, collage, oil pastel 43cm x 53cm
Finding the way. 39x45cm. Earth pigments on linen mounted on wood board, collage, oil pastel
Chaos in the City. 60 x 79cm. Earth pigments, collage, oil pastel on linen mounted on wood board
City. 90x 90cm. Earth pigments on cradled wood board, collage, oil pastel
Summer of Fun. As the sun starts to shine strongly, i am drawn to warm and earthy hues with big flamboyant shapes superimposed on layers of amorphous areas of colour.
90cm x 96.5cm on wooden board.natural earth pigments, wheat paste, collage
Seagull-holidays we used to have
90cmx 90.5cm natural earth pigments, collage, pastel, charcoal, on wooden board
I Will Make You a Rose Dress.
72cm x 80cm wooden board. Natural earth pigments, wheat paste, collage
IKATS
Garden Furniture spring 2021. Natural earth pigments, collage on wooden panel. 72cm x 74cm SOLD
Corona 2021. Natural earth pigments and handmade paints, collage on wooden panel. 90cm x 90cm
Snowdrop. Natural earth pigments ,handmade paints, collage on wood panel 80cm x 70cm
celebrate 47cm x 65cm earth pigments on cradled wood panel
poppy. Earth pigment ,collage, methcellulose glazes, clay on cradled wooden board . 90x 90cm
Winter of discontent. 40x 50cm. Earth pigment, collage, oil pastel on cradled wood board
playing with the moon
COLOURS EMERGING 1. Wild pigments on wood board. 56cm x 48cm
COLOURS EMERGING 2. Wild pigments, collage on wood panel. 53cm x 53cm
playing with the moon 1. wild pigments, handmade paints, collage on wooden board 30cm x 30cm
playing with the moon 2-wild pigments ,handmade paints, collage on wooden board .30cm x 30cm
playing with the moon 3. wild pigments, handmade paints, collage on wooden board. 30cm x 30cm
playing with the moon 4. wild pigments, handmade paints, collage on wooden board 30cm x 30cm
artificial light. wild pigments , handmade paints, collage on wooden board50cm x 60cm
EARTHWORKS
DIFFERENT WORLDS earth pigments, collage on ply board. 30cm x 40cm This work deals with the fact that not everyone thinks the same as me and in accepting this I am learning tolerance!
I WANT TO PLAY claypaint, earth pigments, oil pastel, collage on wooden ply panel. 110cm x 84cm
THE PASTORAL IDYLL claypaint, earth pigments, collage on wooden board. 110cm x 85cm
IKATS
acrylic
RED chalk paint, claypaint, earth pigments, collage acrylic on wooden board. 90cm x 90cm
ELEPHANT claypaint, acrylic, collage on wood panel. 90cm x 90cm
FEMALE FORM claypaint, chalk paint, collage, acrylic on wood panel. 90cm x 90cm
BIRTHDAY claypaint, collage, acrylic on wood panel. 90cm x 90cm
ONCE I WAS AN IKAT WEAVER
The textiles of central Asia captivated me. After seeing an exhibition by the crafts council of woven silks of central Asia (the Rau Collection) so began a journey of painting threads before weaving them into lengths. The bold shapes and saturated colours were reminiscent of modern paintings. It is in this spirit that I have painted this series using my own language of symbols, sanding and distressing the surfaces to find hidden layers beneath, revealing a sense of the ‘history’ of the work, lending it a patina of ancientness.
MIXED MESSAGES
2020
GIVE WAY 90cm x 90cm acrylic and claypaint on wooden board
CHANGED CONDITIONS AHEAD
acrylic, claypaint on wooden board. 90cm x 90cm
WHICH WAY NOW acrylic, clay paint on wooden panel
This was the question I asked myself and was the turning point in an active move towards a plastic free practise.
MAP
OF THE
RIVER
The river Dart is always there- I cross it every day. I head up into the hills and seek its source, walk along its tributaries, follow its course to the sea across fields and along gullies, over fences, up green sunken lanes. I observe its tides and inhabitants. It never ceases to delight and amaze. This painting is a map of the river’s shape from Ashburton to Holne. Claypaint, collage and earth pigments on wooden panel 90cm x 110cm. The following small images are 15cm square on wood panel. They can be acquired individually or as a group. £5 from every single one sold goes to the Devon Wildlife Trust.
