Beverley Harris is an artist of remarkable skill and ability. She specialises in felt, and felt-making and would happily attempt to make anything at all out of this material. Indeed, hanging on the wall of her workshop is a felt bra, and scattered around are various other intriguing, and imaginative felt creations.
Beverley makes cards, bags, brooches, jewellery, framed textiles and wall hangings using her beloved felt in multitudinous ways - drawing on it with free machine embroidery and embellishing. "You name it, I'll do it" is her motto.
As a result, she is happy to make bespoke art to fit a certain space or personality. Beverley noted, "From unusual pink bumblebees to blue sea horses, I am always overjoyed to make specific requests for people, as they can be made in any shape, size or colour."
Bev attended South Downs College and did an access course there, before attending Chichester University with most of her peers from college, to read 'Fine Art with Related Arts'. "I had started using textiles at the very end of my time at college," Beverley explains, "but when I got to university I couldn't stop. I became obsessed with textiles and as a result it became my specialist subject area and I have been making textiles ever since."
Beverley gets her inspiration from all over the world by looking at art from different cultures. "I have looked at Aboriginal art, which is fascinating, but I have been particularly inspired by Indian and African art - and most recently, Moroccan. The natural world and surface pattern have been a constant inspiration.
The most important thing about my artwork though, is the fact that it is constantly evolving as I develop new skills or find new inspiration, or areas to explore."
Jessica Moon, 2008
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.
- Artworks-MK, Great Linford, Milton Keynes
- Opus Gallery - Ashbourne, Derbyshire
- The Lightbox - Chobham Road, Woking, Surrey
- Cambridge Contemporary Crafts
- Cakewalk Vintage, Ilkley, Yorkshire
- Quay Arts, Newport, Isle of Wight
- The Academy Gallery, Petersfield
- Ora Gallery, Sharrowvale Road, Sheffield
- Saffron of Chichester
- Rainbows of Petersfield
- The Spring, Havant
- Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Petersfield
- The Artroom Gallery, Garstang, Lancashire
- Rose Green Art and Craft Centre, Pagham
- Fisherton Mill, Salisbury
- Shy Violet, Sherborne, Dorset
- 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
