“I studied Fashion and Textiles and I have been painting on silk for longer than I care to remember. I taught at Hastings College for a number of years and in 1994 I founded the Guild of Silk Painters and remain its president today.

I love working with silk to produce colourful scarves, dresses and shawls using a variety of techniques including shibori and rozome. I work in my studio at home and offer tuition in silk painting on a one-to-one basis.”

Hello and welcome to my website where you will find an eclectic mix of lamp work and textile-related interests. There are examples of my hand painted and shibori-pleated silks and glass beads in the Folio sections, information about my books and teaching, some of my published articles and a journal section containing pictures showing some of the textiles and other artworks I have discovered on my journeys, which inspire and interest me and inform my work as a textile maker.

I am part of a growing movement of people concerned to preserve the knowledge of traditional textile processes, as ancient ways of life are threatened by the encroachment of the modern world. I love old, handmade textiles and am fascinated by the designs and techniques that are unique to each culture and have been passed down from generation to generation. My special interest is in traditional Japanese resist techniques and in my own work, I often combine and adapt traditional methods and use them in new ways. My textile work is a journey of discovery which connects me with the past and leads me ever onwards into the future. Each piece I make takes time, a great deal of care and patience to produce. My colours are all mixed individually and are carefully blended and overpainted to create subtle tones and vibrant contrasts. Each piece I make is unique and I rarely make the same thing twice; my motto is creation, not production.

I hope you enjoy browsing and please contact me if you have any questions.

Mandy

WHAT’S ON IN 2013

                        

                              

SUSSEX GUILD SHOWS 2013

Michelham Priory, East Sussex - August 1st - 4th 2013

Pashley Manor, East Sussex - August 24th - 26th 2013

Midhurst, West Sussex - date TBC

Click here to go to the Sussex Guild ‘Events’ website page

GUILD OF SILK PAINTERS ISLE OF MAN

I am very pleased to have been invited to teach workshops at the Guild of Silk Painters annual Festival of Silk being held this year on the Isle of Man in September. Please check their Festival website for full details. Click here.

GUILD OF SILK PAINTERS SCOTLAND

I am also delighted to be teaching a one-day silk painting workshop on May 11th in Glasgow with members of the Scottish branch of the Guild of Silk Painters. See their website for details. Click here.

WEST DEAN COLLEGE

I am happy to be back again this year, teaching at West Dean College near Chichester, West Sussex. This time it is a three-day course on silk painting. More details on the website. Click here.

CRAFT & DESIGN MAGAZINE

I am fortunate to have a page in the Selected Makers section of Craft & Design magazine’s website and the magazine is encouraging visitors to the website to vote for their favourite maker by clicking on the link ‘Voting’ and then following the instructions for the voting procedure. The Selected Makers are not just textile artists, there are in fact 25 different sections to browse through so whether or not you decide to vote, you will find a lot of interesting work to look at. Click here to visit my page.

A New Publication

TEXTILES: THE ART OF MANKIND

Author:  Mary Schoeser

Publisher: Thames & Hudson

Publication Date: November 5th 2012

Apart from the pleasure of having another book on textiles by Mary Schoeser, I am particularly pleased about this one because several pieces of my work were selected for inclusion.     Mandy.

This major new work comprises more than 1,000 images that highlight the beauty, subtlety, simplicity or complexity of textiles created around the world. The juxtaposition of historical and contemporary examples highlights the skill and imagination of textile designers throughout history, as well as the remarkable range of achievements. Thematic illustrated sections present in-depth knowledge and sweeping insights into the role textiles have played throughout all human civilization, and illuminate the ways in which structure or surface decoration or embellishment enhance this most tactile of arts. With a definitive text by Mary Schoeser, drawing together knowledge gathered over a liftime of immersion in the textile arts, no other book in the vast literature on the subject has so comprehensively celebrated the spectacular and enduring appeal of textiles.