I began using felt to create pictures and hangings on to which I would "draw" with free machine embroidery. I began my artistic career as a painter and layering the coloured fleece is like mixing paint, as the felt dries the colours emerge with vibrancy and depth. Free machine embroidery adds texture and movement, where there is heavy stitching the felt compresses which enables the areas around the stitching to be more prominent creating a 3d effect.
I enjoy looking at different cultures around the world and have a love of nature and surface pattern such as Celtic imagery, which I bring to my feltmaking. The work of my favourite painters, for example, Jasper Johns's Target Painting of 1970, also inspire me to create unique "art" bags.
Each piece of my felt is different and even though a certain amount of decision making is made when placing colours, the element of surprise is always present when each piece dries ready to be made into bags, brooches, jewellery, cards, pictures and hangings - each area of the felt is different and so each item whether it be a brooch or piece of jewellery, has its own individual look.
Beverley can be found on the Crafts Council National Register of Makers
You can also see me in the Selected Makers Online Gallery at www.craftanddesign.net
Work currently available at:
- Trefriw Woollen Mills, Conwy, Wales
- Ann Brewster Jewellery, Southwold, Suffolk
- Up Country, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
- Victoria Stevenson, Penrith, Carlisle
- Created Gallery, Chesterfield, Derbyshire
- Lee Chapman Gallery, Keswick, Cumbria
- Hawthorn Contemporary Art and Crafts, Blandford Forum, Dorset.
- Koru, Nursery Lodge, Soldridge Road, Medstead.
- Found Gallery, Dunbar, East Lothian
- Opus Gallery - Ashbourne, Derbyshire
- The Lightbox - Chobham Road, Woking, Surrey
- Pippin Gifts, Edinburgh
- Cakewalk Vintage, Ilkley, Yorkshire
- Quay Arts, Newport, Isle of Wight
- Bury Art Museum, Lancs
- Victoria Fearn Gallery, Rhiwbina, Cardiff
- Saffron of Chichester
- Rainbows of Petersfield
- Lion Gallery, Leominster, Herefordshire
- Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Petersfield
- The Artroom Gallery, Garstang, Lancashire
- Monica Boxley, Twickenham
- Fisherton Mill, Salisbury
- The Ropewalk, Barton upon Humber, Lincs
- Black Sheep, Midhurst, West Sussex
- Elizabeth Gash Knitwear, Lavenham, Suffolk
- Elizabeth Gash Knitwear, Bury St Edmonds
- Poppy Charlotte, Selborne, Hampshire
- Starfish Gallery, Johnshaven, Montrose, Scotland
- Between Dreams (Hilliers), Botley, Hampshire
