Tell us a bit about yourself and your work.
I have recently moved back to the North West having spent twenty years in Hampshire. I relocated in 1999 to undertake a degree in Textile Art followed by a PGCE in Art and Design a few years later. During the 15 years of building my Textile Art empire I also set up a business designing and creating hats and fascinators. I taught myself basic millinery skills and developed my work into bespoke pieces of wearable art mainly incorporating my love of found objects and paper. I set up my home studio (the spare room) to accommodate my business, school work and my own projects as I like to be surrounded by ‘things’ and always have a number of projects on the go. I am a hoarder, I scour carboot sales and charity shops and always return loaded with materials and inspiration to fill my home and my classroom.
In the last five years since putting my shop into ‘holiday mode’ and joining the Sketchbook Circle I have been able to revisit skills I’d only touched upon. Working in a sketchbook or on a smaller scale has been a challenge so my latest book using a metal ring as the ‘book’ has been a successful way of showcasing my fragmented style of working. Since connecting with fellow teachers my obsession with learning and sharing has grown. The books and the residential trip to Berlin have confirmed how much my own practice impacts on the students I work alongside. They are on the journey with me so I am always looking for new techniques and processes to share with my classes. It’s only recently I have accepted that I am ok with not sticking to one form of outlet, such as my hats and that I am without a doubt an experimental artist.
How would you describe your work?
Varied. I love working with paper; cutting, stitching, layering and manipulating it. Playing cards, old sheet music, maps and comic books have featured a lot especially in my hats and fascinators. My work is often fast paced and my attention limited, resulting in boxes of unfinished projects of mixed media, print and stitch work. However, this has changed since joining the Sketchbook Circle. I have learnt to adapt and find a steadier pace. I love textiles and using the embellisher to create surfaces to layer and work with. I am always trying new surface techniques to create canvases as like most others I find a white empty page a challenge to work on.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I tend to take inspiration from the opportunities I am presented with, such as the trip to Berlin, an invite to beach or a nosy around a laboratory at the hospital. I use what is around me and more so now I am back in Blackpool. Being back beside the seaside I am surrounded by inspiration, with 15 miles of Lancashire coastline, the neon lights of Blackpool’s Golden Mile and woodlands of Beacon Fell, I am not short of inspiration and more often than not there will be a nod towards the location that inspired me within the work.
The natural world also plays a big part. When booking a trip away I always look for the nearest Natural History Museum. Birds, butterflies and insects are of a particular interest so looking through trays of colour and pattern is a constant source of inspiration. More recently I have learnt to appreciate the garden of my new home. I feel very lucky to have such a space that changes daily with wildlife and colour.
What’s the first thing you can remember making?
I think I was 6 or 7 years old when I saw an episode of Blue Peter where Mark Curry created a cardboard art caddy. It was incredible. I saved every scrap of cardboard and used up my dad’s stash of tape to create what I still tell people was the most amazing thing I have ever created. I spent a long time planning where all compartments would be located to house my favourite Crayolas. I proudly carried it into school every day. It was the talk of my class, I knew they were all jealous. Sadly, we get A LOT of rain in the North West, the tape construction just couldn’t take it. My love for recycling was ignited by that carry case, so thanks Blue Peter!
What are you working on at the moment?
As soon as I returned to Blackpool I joined the Seaside Stitchers and one of our zoom challenges was to create a 6”x 6” virus. This was a good opportunity to dig the embellishing machine out of storage and experiment with felt fibres. It also reminded me of how much I love a French Knot. The vaccine to accompany this piece is still under construction.
Alongside my sketchbooks I am also producing work linked to the Berlin trip and the book I created whilst there. The street art and graffiti tour was a highlight of the trip for me. I’ve recently started exploring the local street art in Blackpool which led me to speak to an artist, who not only went to school with my husband but whose work I also saw in Berlin. My long-term project is a collection of mixed media, neon pieces inspired by the textured walls of Berlin and Blackpool. I am determined to have a solo exhibition in the local art gallery... if I ever get the work finished.
Where can we see more of your stuff?
Instagram: @soobird
Website: www.soobird.com (in need of an update)
