For more nearly 25 years, browngrotta arts has promoted museum-quality, international, contemporary art textiles and fiber sculpture through exhibitions, at art fairs, online and in print through catalogs that we publish in-house.
I'm a fibreholic - slightly off beat, dancing to my own tune, a whizz at multi-tasking - I juggle being a wife; mother; fibre artist; consulting editor - textiles for Stitches magazine; indie dyer and owner of “ColourSpun – Natural Designer Yarns”; creative workshop presenter; speaker; author of ""A Knitting Adventure with South African Yarn""... and anything else that takes my fancy.
My days are spent in my studio - dyeing, knitting, spinning, stitching, dreaming up projects for Stitches, making fibre art.... just generally having fun. I have my perfect life!
All my ColourSpun yarn is coloured by hand, so each skein is imbued with my creative energy and will have its own unique characteristics. I only use the finest quality, locally grown merino wool roving and yarn, kid mohair and pure cotton: the dyes are the most earth friendly available and have excellent wash fast and light fast properties. My studio is a smoke free and pet free environment and I use methods that use the minimum amount of water and sun stoves to dye the yarn.
I am a member of Fibreworks and my work has been exhibited at home in South Africa, in the U.K., Brazil, Europe, U.S.A., Japan and New Zealand. I have work published in a number of books including Innovative Threads - A Decade of South African Fibre Art by Liza Gillespie and 1000 Artisan Textiles by Sandra Salamony and Gina M Brown.
Artist's statement: I am not one of those artists who use their work to make profound statements. I don’t plan my work to express deep feelings or beliefs. Mostly, I am inspired by the beauty in things, sometimes in people, sometimes in nature and often in the materials I love to work with. The pieces I make often seem to create themselves as they develop and evolve into something completely different to what I have in mind at the start. I don’t follow rules but do believe that if something is worth doing it is worth doing well and stop if you’re not having fun.
ColourSpun's mission is to produce the best quality, natural, earth friendly fibre and yarn - filled with creative energy to give joy and pleasure to everyone who works with it.
I am a fiber artist and children's book illustrator. My fabric relief sculptures are photographed and reproduced in picture books. The books are not just for children--they're also used as art and reference books for all ages. I've also written the instruction book for adults, Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects.
Salley Mavor
Artist's statement: I have had a life-long fascination with little things and needlework. Toward the end of art school, I rediscovered my childhood delight in sewing and creating miniature scenes. Leaving traditional illustration mediums behind, but still interested in narrative work, I taught myself stitching and fiber art techniques, which I used in my class assignments. For me, manipulating materials with my hands with a needle and thread was so much more satisfying than rendering with a pencil or brush. I found that I could communicate my ideas more clearly this way and that my hands would direct me in a compelling way.
My early pieces were soft sculpture, and then turned flatter, with raised figures and objects on a fabric background. I came up with the term “fabric relief” in 1982 to better describe my evolving method. My 3-dimensional pictures resemble miniature, shallow stage sets, with scenery, props and characters telling a story. I embroider, wrap, appliqué and paint different materials and found objects to create scenes in relief, with figures imposed on an embellished fabric background. My work is decorative and detailed, full of patterns from nature, all stitched by hand.
For the past 20 years, I’ve been working in the field of illustration, making artwork which is then photographed and printed in children’s books. The original fabric relief pictures have a second life when they are mounted and framed under glass in shadow boxes, ready to show and sell as individual pieces. Through my books, I hope to inspire children as well as adults to see art in fresh and unexpected ways.
I am a mixed media textile artist living in Chicago. I teach workshops in art quilt and mixed media techniques nationally and internationally. I have written numerous articles for Quilting Arts and Cloth Paper Scissors magazines, have three instructional DVD's available from Interweave, and have been a guest multiple times on Quilting Arts TV.
Artist's statement: One part gypsy and two parts visual alchemist, I believe that all the places I have lived have in many ways taken up residence in me and manifest in the diversity of my work. Exploring themes drawn from folklore, history and nature, I enjoy working in a variety of media. Often blending quilting skills with techniques drawn from my graphic arts background, I use textile paints, dyes, inks, acrylic powders, artist’s pencils and occasionally stitch metal onto my fabric.
Hello. I was born and raised with my mother's tailoring shop. Work with fabric and textile techniques have always fascinated and attracted me.
In 2006 I published the book ""Ornaments and Oomph"" where you can see more on my work. I have had a creative workshop since 2007, where people come and work with the craft items they want. I freelance, participate in fairs -in the hobby - textile company and magazine. I especially love to work with textile techniques and constantly explore new combinations and develop working methods.
I also design prom and bridal accessories for guests - individual pieces to order. Feel free to contact me if you think there is anything I can help you with. Information about what I do - if you want to work with a thing, or something you want me to design.
Last but not least, if you plan to visit South Denmark, come and visit my workshop! It is located at a campsite, so you can also go camping for a night or several weeks. When you're campers, you work for free at the workshop - you only pay for your material consumption ;-)
Hugs, Dorthe
Artist's Statement: I work / love / is .... as non-commercial as possible.
I attempt to recycle and care for the consumption of materials as much as possible, with the intention of using even the smallest remnants. I am outgoing and friendly, open as a creative soul who enjoys contact with others with similar interests.
As a lifelong fabricholic, I built a business around my love for African textiles in particular. Cultured Expressions specializes in the creative use of authentic African fabrics for sewing, quilting, decorating and crafts. It started with the publication of my first book, AFRICAN ACCENTS: Fabrics and Crafts to Decorate Your Home. Since then, I've been promoting my work through two more books (GLOBAL EXPRESSIONS and ON THE GO!) and by importing and selling fabrics, embellishments, kits and specialty merchandise to go with the books. Two favorites are our Jacquard Batiks and handcrafted brass adinkra symbols, both from Ghana.
I also offer related travel and tour opportunities, including our Textile and Craft Tour of Ghana (Sept 2010) and our 6th annual Quilter's Retreat, which takes place at a holistic spa in Negril, Jamaica (June 2011). In addition to helping others create their own artwork through workshops and the merchandise, I've also been carving out a bit more time to create custom handbags and commissioned wall hangings. I love what I do and I enjoy sharing it with others.
Friends are invited to my home studio in Rahway, NJ to shop-by-appointment, and a mini shop is always set up for workshops.
Artist's Statement: Through my books, events and products, I want to offer people a unique avenue for self expression and at the same time, give them an appreciation for, and an understanding of African cultures and creativity.
Location: Rahway, New Jersey, USA Online shop: CULTURED EXPRESSIONS, Inc. Social Media:LinkedIn Memberships: CHA Designer Member Newark Museum - Instructor & Member Textile Museum - Member Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Alumni Assn Languages spoken: English, some Spanish, a little Twi (spoken in Ghana)
African textiles available at Cultured Expressions, Inc.
HAND/EYE is an independent, international publication that explores the nexus between design and development, culture and commerce, art and craft, and environment and ethics. HAND/EYE Magazine is sold at numerous stores in the US, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. These include:
Tail of the Yak, Maiwa (Canada), Casa, Museum Reitberg (Switzerland), NZ Quilter/Minerva (New Zealand), Museum of Craft and Folk Art, The Field Museum of Natural History, Porter Studios and Fine Arts Gallery, ABC Carpet and Home, Purl, Original Woman, Tesoros Trading Company, Pachamama, California Pacific Designs, Pierre LaFond Upstairs,Santa Fe Museum of Folk Art, CAFM
Mission: HAND/EYE’s goal is to engender intelligent debate among artisans, exporters, designers, artists, wholesalers and importers, retailers, and consumers so that all may make smart, ethical, and inspired decisions about their activities.
HAND/EYE articles will discuss design as a tool for development and income generation, as well as for environmental and social progress. The magazine will also discuss innovative and ethical retail practices as a force for more enlightened and informative consumerism, and will look at NGO programs addressing artisan income generation and community well being. We will showcase relevant new product for the consideration of retailers and consumers.
Through the work of accomplished photographers, we will also look at artisan life in a visual context. In interviews with inspiring creators and do-ers of all kinds, HAND/EYE will offer nourishing food for thought to all readers.
Proceeds from sales of HAND/EYE will be divided among several non-profit agencies working to address artisan issues.
Since Green Mountain Spinnery’s founding in 1981 we have been designing and producing richly colored, must-touch yarns and classic and contemporary patterns for hand knitters. To this day our goals remain unchanged: to create yarns of the highest quality, to help sustain regional sheep farming, and to develop environmentally sound ways to process natural fibers.
All the fibers we use – wool, alpaca, mohair, organic cotton, and lyocell - are grown or produced in the United States. We make every effort to purchase directly from individual growers. Unlike most commercial mills, The Green Mountain Spinnery uses no chemicals to bleach, mothproof or shrink-proof yarns.
From initial contact with the fiber grower through the final labeling and approval of each finished skein, our team attends with care to every step and detail in the yarn-making process. Each of our skilled employees brings enthusiasm and talent their work. Most of us at the Spinnery are accomplished hand-spinners, knitters or weavers; we have a heart-felt interest in producing extraordinary yarns for your use.
The yarns are created in our mill in Putney Vermont with vintage equipment. We match the dynamic capabilities of our machinery with a keen understanding of the nuances of each fiber blend. Throughout the entire process, the inherent liveliness of natural fibers is respected.
Our knitting patterns are designed to encourage knitters of every level to expand their skills and create natural fiber garments that can be worn with style and pleasure for years to come.
The Spinnery is now in its 30th year of operation. We are a worker-owned coopertive.
Location: Putney, Vermont, USA Online Shop: Green Mountain Spinnery Brick and Mortar Presence: Our mill store is located at 7 Brickyard Lane, Putney and is open every day except major holidays. Some of our yarns are also sold in fine yarn shops in the USA and Canada. See our website for a complete listing. Social Media:Ravelry Memberships:
TNNA- the National Needle Arts Association
Vermont Seep and Goat Association
Valley Alliance of Worker Coopertives Languages spoken: English
Green Mountain Spinnery, a worker-owned cooperative
I'm a writer-turned-artist who stitches my stories full time using a needle and thread, felted wool, and a variety of mixed media embellishments.
Artist's statement: I feel a strong connection to the domestic needlework tradition and am particularly interested in the role handwork plays in the lives of those who create it, be it practical, expressive, or therapeutic.
My pictures depict glimpses of everyday (well, sort of) people and animals, combining a love of words, folk art and fiber. Simple shapes, bright colors and a word or two tell the story, inviting the viewer to engage in an exploration of the ordinary made extraordinary through the use of a little imagination and a lot of tiny stitches. But my work is as much about the process as it is about product.
My pieces are 100% hand-stitched. I love the feel of the wool and the slow pace at which the picture is revealed. Using repurposed and hand-dyed felted wool, I sew and embroider each layer, incorporating beads, vintage trims, found words and phrases. I take delight in giving discards a new life.
My education is in creative writing. Perhaps that explains my need for words to complete the picture. Most often my words are cut from vintage magazines of the 1920's - 1950's. Quirky colors and fonts and the hunt for just the right letter add to my enjoyment of the process and ensure that each piece is truly an original.
"I am a textile collector, researcher and artist who has lived in various parts of Asia and the U.S. My eyes are always open to details of pattern and texture, my mind always absorbing the influences of my surroundings.
Any opportunity to discuss textile topics with others is a boon to me. Our work with textiles can encourage the prominence and prosperity of this invaluable heritage in the world.
My own manifestations take the form of handspun yarns and garments created from them, in addition to quilts and dyed fabrics. My designs are featured on Ravelry.com, and my blog shows a more personal (if sporadic) glimpse of my work ."
Artist statement: I am driven by textile-related dialogue and discovery.
It astounds and thrills me to touch cloth that has been worked by another's hands, in a distant culture or time.
To learn with my own hands, to produce original craft, within this global textile vocabulary – this is my life work.
Meanwhile, to continue the study of traditions, to document the textiles in context, to appreciate their role in the growth and perseverance of peoples – this is an ongoing fascination.
The two move hand-in-hand, the material study and execution; the intellectual reflection and research.
I dream of the time when the true value of textiles is acknowledged, when people and institutions revere this aspect of human culture and promote its study.
Location: Doha, Qatar Blog: eine saite Memberships/Sites:
Textile Society of America
Spin-Off Magazine Ravelry Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Ladakhi, French, wee bits of several others....
"Court Jester", an original design made by Tracy Hudson
I am a full time textile artist who dyes and prints her own fabric and constructs it into quilted and stitched textile hangings. I also make fabric for sale.
I teach many of the processes I incorporate in my work.
I am an author of instructional books in relation to quilting and design
I am also passionate about travel and am presently a creative guide for Syria for Creative Arts Safaris, also a TAFA member.
Artist's statement: My quilts are a product of a lifelong engagement with textiles, the mobility of the stitch, the interaction of colour created by dyeing and printing, and the creation of stories. As a small child I built constructions that were stitched and embroidered and this love of embroidery continued through my teenage and adult years. I have a Masters degree In Visual Art(textiles) from Charles Sturt University, NSW which has pushed me to examine the textile surface in a more immediate way, not simply as a vehicle for imagery, but a return to the touch and textuality of textiles, its intimacy and its narrative content.
All the fabrics in my work are hand dyed, and I employ simple printing techniques to create original one-off fabrics used in my work. I love simple resist techniques such as folding and tieing, having fallen in love with the indigo cloth of West Africa. I tend to work in fairly simple colour contrasts though the cloth I use is often complex in the colours they contain. Stitching both by machine and hand are important elements, as is the creation of texture. My work is much inspired by the Australian landscape, and in particular the Otways, where I worked and lived with my children.
In the past 10 years I have been curating traveling exhibitions, that have travelled mostly to Europe and the Middle East. My travels have opened up a whole new world of textiles- the Middle East was a treasure trove of textiles made by hand in time honoured ways- they were stunning and they have offered plenty of inspiration for future work.
We are ‘our’ journey…
I take great joy in the process of telling visual stories through my quilt art and the transformation of fabric through surface manipulation and embellishment.
I had spent 20 years bringing ATM/POS networking and products to life, and I find it amazing now that I get to share my creative spirit and joy as a quilt artist, author, teacher, lecturer full-time. It has truly been exciting path I have followed since leaving my corporate job in 2003. A path that has let me share my method of quilt top construction, (Fast-Piece Appliqué™) through my first book Dream Landscapes: Artful Quilts with Fast-Piece Appliqué and now brings me even more fun opportunities as my second book, Exploring Embellishments: More Artful Quilts with Fast-Piece Appliqué, is due out in June 2010.
In my earlier Dream Landscapes I introduced the Fast-Piece Appliqué construction method that makes curves and circles easy to sew—opening a world of design possibilities. It set me free from squares and blocks and leaves me lots of time for my favorite activity of stitching and embellishment.
I travel and provide a line-up of related workshops and lectures, and I love to teach Fast-Piece Appliqué™, and designing the world with shapes along with many, many ‘how to’s on using embellishments of all types and using wonderful materials to create surface design and one-of-a-kind embellishments.
I really enjoy that in my workshops I get to help each student find their individual voice by providing possibilities. I do this by teaching fun ways to add color, texture and dimension to fabric and quilts.
My quilt art journey has taken me on twists and turns I had little expected, like appearing on Simply Quilts, or as in June 2009, I appeared on The Quilt Show, with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. Just the other day I was filmed for an episode of Quilts Out Loud! Seeing my work and words in print on websites and blogs and on the pages of personally revered magazines like Quilting Arts, American Quilter’s Society, Quilter’s Home, and Quilter’s Newsletter magazines is really wild. But, best of all I take great pleasure in sharing my quilt art in regional, national and international exhibits, galleries and museums.
In 2009 I had two solo exhibits and a traveling exhibit, Back-Road Journeys: Quilts by Rose Hughes. My personal exhibition journey continues with a full schedule in 2010 and I have quilt art scheduled in exhibits with Studio Art Quilt Association, Quilts on the Wall: Fiber Artists and other group and solo events.
Artist's statement: My mission is to use my personal art, inspiration and teaching abilities to encourage others to enjoy the color and art of life's simple things and find time and opportunity to pursue these fearlessly.
I am a mixed-media textile artist. My main focus is art quilting and I usually create with a representational style, although I sometimes will play with abstract styles as well.
Although I didn't always enjoy all steps of quilting, I now find I enjoy each step of the process--the first sketches, the fabric choices, the textural stitching, and the glorious color. I will even look forward to sitting down and hand stitching on a binding.
I have no formal art degree. All of my experience comes from my own experimentation, practice, and a few online classes. Some of my favorite subjects in my art are female faces, flowers, birds, and cats.
I live in Mandan, North Dakota, and am married to a wonderful and supporting husband, have one grown son, and am "mom" to several cats. My other interests include painting, reading, bird watching, and flower gardening.
I am author of the book Creative Paper Quilts: Applique, Embellishment, Patchwork, Piecework; co-author of Creative Ways with Fibre & Stitch, and co-Author of Creative Ways with Books and Journals. I teach online through Three Creative Studios.
Artist's Statement: Time honored traditional quilting processes have crashed head on with new and innovative mixed-media techniques. Art quilting is in full swing and I’m embracing it whole-heartedly. I am enraptured with each step of the process--the first sketches, the fabric choices, the textural stitching, and the glorious color.
The visual texture of commercially printed fabrics along with the additional quilted texture is a springboard for my work. I have a love affair with color and enjoy using many fabrics to portray a single color thought.
John gained a degree in Constructed Textiles at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Scotland. He has a wide working knowledge of art and craft textiles and is now a full time writer with a great interest in both historical and contemporary textiles. Since 2008 he has been producing The Textile Blog, a daily insight into all aspects of printed, woven and knitted textiles, as well as rug, tapestry, quilting, embroidery, lace, basketry design, as well as historical decoration and ornament. Through the blog he tries to approach textiles by viewing the subject in a broad and culturally diverse manner, including contemporary and historical articles from across the globe.
Embroidery by Jessie Newbery
The Textile Blog articles deal with the equality and the complexity of all historical cultures, peoples, and mediums. Whether a piece of textile art, design or craft has been produced by amateur or professional, in Europe or the Brazilian rainforest, it will be seen as valid and having merit.
-John Hopper
Location: Foxhole, Cornwall, United Kingdom Blog: The Textile Blog Languages spoken: English
My love of textiles was formed in the exotic markets of South Africa where I was born. I've been making quilts for 35 years and cloth as a medium for women's voice has been my abiding passion.
I have exhibited in the USA, Japan, UK, Europe and South Africa. Landscapes are one of my specialities and I authored 2 books on applique landscapes, "Beyond the Horizon" (C&T) and "Points of View" (Martingale). I've taught quilting extensively including for the International Quilt Festival since 1988. Some of my highlights were to be included in Nihon Vogue's book, 88 Quilt Leaders of the World and to exhibit in Thirty Distinguished Quiltmakers of the World in Tokyo Dome, Japan, a show curated by Mary Leman and Robert Shaw.
My life is made rich by the textile community and sharing in it.
Mission:African Threads, my fair trade company, grew from my passion for the art of the stitch, its story-telling magic and its power to heal women's lives. I grew up in South Africa and I want to make a difference in the lives of women facing the HIV/AIDS pandemic in that country. 15% of the profits from the sale of textiles and beadwork made by women's groups in South Africa is donated to the "Grandmother-to-Grandmother" campaign run by the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
