The Inspiration behind my textile collection for The Garnered…
‘Nature isn’t at the surface; it’s in depth. Colour’s are the expression, on this surface, of this depth. They rise up out of the earth’s roots.’ - Paul Cezanne, impressionist painter.
The textiles are a collection of naturally dyed and hand painted linens for the home, to be used as table linen, linen throws for the sofa or bed, light blankets, or wall hangings. Inspired by the changing seasons in the Oxfordshire countryside; speckled wild flower meadows, marks imitating the growing texture of lichen and flowing patterns of bark and ancient oak trees, the changing of the leaves, colours evoking the sky at dusk and dawn, dappled sunlight and the undulation of a landscape. These linen’s compliment each other yet are completely unique and one-of-a-kind. The collection is a narrative of the landscape, each painting an ‘impressionists’ watercolour like landscape of the English countryside, alike to JMW Turner studies and Abstract Expressionist painters.
These next few images show a selection of artist work I’m influenced by, including, Andreas Ericsson, Jean-Baptiste Besancon, Joan Mitchell, Gerhard Richter, Helen Frankenthaler and Christopher Le Brun. Along with photos I’ve taken myself of shadow patterns, dappled sunlight, textured surfaces and landscapes. I’ve also included a few interior images of homes I find inspiring, for example the seaside home of John Derian, a rustic old Fishermans cottage, decorated with textured linens and filled with treasures picked up from the coast. Mathilde Labrouche’s farmhouse in South West France, filled with antique furniture, ceramics and walls peeling with layers of paint. An Ibizan home designed by Joanna Plant, all bare plaster walls and wooden beams. I’m inspired by many things, but these are always my main focus points when it comes to creating work; the landscape and sky, flora and fauna, impressionist and expressionist painters, interiors and interior objects (mostly ceramics!) colour and texture.
