People talk about the power of Social Media…..
When I started using Twitter I never imagined the doors it could open and the opportunities it could present me…
This week, thanks to Twitter I finally met some of the fantastically supportive Textile Artists that I have been chatting to over the past 6-8 months. We met in The Old Prison Northleach in the Cotswolds and chatted from the first moment like old friends.
In the picture below, from the left is Barbara Shaw, Rachel Wright, Michelle Cook and myself. We are standing beneath one of the fabulous pieces of textile art on display in the Cotswold Lion Cafe created by Barbara.
We each brought along some examples of our work and chatted for hours about how we started, what inspires us and the journey..
Everyone was incredibly supportive and shared thoughts and advice freely. Before Social Media, how would a ‘newbie’ like me have been able to meet a group of such established and successful Artists? You could have visited their Exhibitions in the hope of grabbing a little of their time or joined a workshop but, Twitter has introduced me to Artists on a different level. We came from around the country to meet, chat, eat cake and drink coffee. It was our time and not a grabbed few moments in a busy environment.
Now a little about each of these amazing artists in their own words reproduced with kind permission from their respective websites.
I ‘paint’ with textiles, creating collage pictures by hand-stitching or bonding small pieces of fabric together in layers to create the effect I want. I use patterned and tactile materials in vibrant or subtle colours: chiffon ribbons for shading, sparkly fabric for light and tweed for texture all help to bring my artwork alive. As I am a self-taught textile artist, I am constantly experimenting to stretch the range of subjects which I tackle. I am inspired by natural forms as well as my surroundings and hope to engage the viewer in looking afresh at familiar images.
You can find Barbara on Twitter https://twitter.com/art_in_textiles
My main focus is my embroidery. I take my inspiration from landscapes and cityscapes and have a particular love of the sea, harbour towns, boats and lighthouses. The shapes, colours and details of these subject matter are then borrowed and echoed in delicately hand or machine embroidered fabric collages, using vibrant threads, worked onto papers and fabrics. The signature skies in my landscapes are often dramatic and expressive.
The embroideries enable me to draw and paint through the medium of fabric and stitch. My embroideries stand out because of the striking use of rich colour, which captivates and draws the viewer in. My aim is simply to delight the eye.
You can find Rachel on Twitter https://twitter.com/RSetford
I am an Artist who works in mixed media. My primary mediums are acrylic paint, textiles and ceramics, but I will incorporate any medium that I feel is right for the piece I am working on.
I enjoy finding objects while out and about, taking them home, storing them away only to rediscover them when looking for something to include in my work.
My main goals are to produce work that creates a feeling of satisfaction in myself while enabling others to gain a sense of pleasure when viewing them.
These are really inspiring artists and I thoroughly recommend checking out their websites and seeing more of their Textile Art.
We are going to try and meet about every 3 months and even chatted about potentially doing an exhibition together!
A few months ago, thanks again to Twitter I was contacted by the fabulous magazine ‘Be Creative with Workbox’. They asked if I would like to write an article for their Creative Bloggers feature. I was over the moon as I love the magazine and have seen Barbara, Rachel and Michelle all featured over the months.
The article will be in their 150th issue available from June the 12th.
Who knows where our tweeting will take us…… I would never have believed the difference it could make.
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