Inspired by the gestural qualities of sketching and painting, I enjoy translating the quick expressiveness of the art practices to characteristically slower, more controlled craft materials. I work predominately in textile and metal, and more specifically, the craft techniques of rug hooking and vitreous enamelling.
Rug hooking – traditionally, for the making of rugs, as its title suggests – is the practice of creating pile by tension fitting loops of fabric through a woven base.
Vitreous enamelling is the practice of fusing powdered glass to a metal substrate via firing in a kiln. I use both opaque and transparent glass, applied both dry and wet, over multiple layers and individual firings to achieve different qualities.
The complementary pairing of materials enhances one another, celebrating texture.