One of Denise's prints I taught the August session of Look. Draw. Stitch. this weekend. Three lovely students, we had a great time and what fabulous work they produced. I have had to really sort through all the images I took. It has been difficult to choose. I run the Look. Draw. Stitch. weekends from January to November. So far this year we have ranged from one student to four. Next year when I move into the studio I hope to have six every month. Anyone can come - whether you have worked with me before - or not. Most students just come once, others come a couple of times a year. This weekend we had Susan from Australia. Denise from New Zealand and Rosie from West Clare! Usually students are from the UK or Ireland but these 2 antipodean ladies planned my workshop into their holiday in Ireland - good forward planning.  We started the weekend with a bit of drawing, nothing too terrifying. I have plenty of interesting things to draw inside and outside the house. We are ne...

My original 'Capstones' created in 1999. 5 foot wide. Hello! Remember me?  It's nearly 2 months since I posted on here, apologies. Life has been a bit up and down and to be very honest, I haven't really felt like writing.  I am back up to speed now. I have had 2 dear friends staying with me from New Zealand. They have helped me finally get all my kit sorted. They have been such stars, coming here for a long holiday and ending up clearing out all my STUFF!!!  I am surrounded by these remarkable feats of human endeavour. Inspiration is all around here in West Clare and I have been taking photos of the particularly wonderful dry stone walls to be found in this part of Ireland since I arrived here. I have now started on a new body of work. As always I am going take a little artistic license, I have enjoyed making the first 2 in the series. These are 3 feet across. Dry Stone Walls I and II As you can see I going right back the very be...

 Layers of colour and gorgeousness.  Things have been a bit more down that up recently - a few big changes have occurred and I am regrouping. So it was a joy to hear about Lou Brown and her prize winning sketch books. I get the odd email now and then saying how helpful my books are and that I am an inspiration. It is always gratifying. But when my friend Jill told me about the work that Cheadle School had been doing based on my design exercise The Journey that can be found in my second book Experimental Textiles and some plastic samples from exercises in my first book Hot Textiles I was really excited. Louise Brown on the right. Louise Brown won the Manchester School of Art / Cass Art Teacher Sketchbook Prize on Friday 8th June.  Lou is Head of Design & Technology at Cheadle Hulme High School.  She teaches A level Textiles and the two sketchbooks she entered show her lesson samples as part of the course in year 12.  The judges w...