Inundation: Monsal Dale
We were delighted to welcome Peak District artist Alison Wake to Harrogate Creative Stitchers this Saturday. During her talk she describes how she likes to use her yarns, mainly in wools and silks, to ‘paint’ her pictures.
Alison, who describes herself as an artist and mum, enjoys
creating landscapes and is inspired by the beauty of the surrounding
Peak District where she lives in Flagg, near Bakewell. She takes photos during different seasons and
times of day and notices how this effects the light and colours of her
observations. She is a member of Peak District Artisans and also a
member of S.E.W. (Society for Embroidered Work), through which she is taking
part in ‘Surface and Depth’, an exhibition in Rome. She is also taking part in Oswestry’s Contemporary
Fine art exhibition called ‘Stitch by Stitch’ in July.
Alison remembers her Grandmother’s stitch work of a bluebell wood, which she showed us on screen which inspired her to try her hand at embroidery having always painted previously. She tried her own embroidery from a photo of Monsal Weir and found it to be her ‘Eureka’ moment! She has loved “Painting with Yarn” ever since.
Alison explained her process of working from photo to
finished product. She likes to use a
lightbox to trace her images and transfer to an open weave fabric to which she can apply her colours. She uses locally
sourced hand dyed wool in her work, from skeins that are often varied in hues of
colour giving her a 'paint pallet' to choose from. Alison builds up layers capturing the shadow,
shading and movement, often creating a sculptural effect and sometimes uses silk for finer detail. In Alison’s own
words when asked which stitches she uses, she jokes “long ones and short ones”. But her skill in selecting the direction of
stitch, colour and layer creates the most beautiful, detailed and exquisite
pieces, hence her popularity. She also
likes to use bullion knots and French knots for water bubbles for example to build
up layers and give a 3D effect.
Alison brought along some of her framed stitched work and
prints to show us including a piece that differed from the others which was circular
and represented her mental health during the COVID pandemic. It was in a circular frame and when laid flat
on a table spun around creating a spiraling effect.
It was really enjoyable to hear about Alison’s work and
process and we all had another lovely afternoon at Harrogate Creative Stitchers.
For more information about Alison's work see www.cognissart.co.uk
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