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Description
I am a textile artist and tutor living and working near Oswestry. I am inspired by the landscape of Shropshire, it’s colours, patterns textures and shapes. I have always loved rolling landscapes, clumps of trees perched on hills, ploughed fields and the changing of the seasons. Through my textile art I aim to bring out my feelings about what is around me rather than being a true representation of any one place.
I work with a number of textile techniques singly and in combination, batik(hot wax resist) on tissue paper, paper and fabric, machine embroidery and felting.
Batik on tissue paper is my main specialism. Batik is a traditional technique from Indonesia where hot wax is applied to a surface, usually white fabric, to retain the colour.The fabric is then placed in to a vat of dye, after a period of time the fabric is removed and left to dry, then more wax is applied to retain the second colour, the process is repeated allowing more colours to be layered on top, followed by more wax trapping colour as you work. The wax is removed at the end by ironing between sheets of paper.
I use this same process in my work but I use tissue paper instead of fabric, and paint inks and dyes on to the surface. I am constantly exploring new ways of using the technique, collaging papers first to batik on to, creating batik papers which I then collage with, stitching on to my completed batiks, applying tissue to canvas to batik on to, creating books from my batiked papers…..
My current work is inspired by my travels, my panoramic pieces and zigzag books are inspired by train journeys, watching the landscape change as it rushes by, local visits to places such as the abbeys in Much Wenlock and Llangollen, and my recent visit to the lavender fields of Provence. My ongoing passion for landscape continues and evolves.
I offer talks, courses and workshops in Shropshire and around the UK.
I am a member of The Shropshire Guild of Contemporary Crafts, The Embroiderers Guild and The Batik Guild. I regularly run workshops with Art Van Go with whom I also take part in Artists in Action at the Knitting & Stitching Shows, and also with Oxford Summer School.
For more information about my work please visit my website http://jennyolearytextiles.wordpress.com
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