Ffocws #7

Looking to the left from my top window I find ever-changing light over the Clwydian Hills, this and mostly natural environments inspire my images. “I explore and experiment with ‘findings’ often producing work layered from many different parts of the original discovery.” Drawing is the most important part of my practice and the Screen Printing process allows for details found, initial lines and marks to transform. Illustrating patterns and redefining the value of line work, making stencils and layering colours, drawing with the screens to create unique individual pieces of work.

Sarah likes to push the boundaries of screen-printing and colour. She creates intricate, hand-cut paper stencils, and prints layers of vibrant colour to build her images.

The work explores man-made landscapes with a focus on industrial and urban environments. Sarah believes that “In both industrial and agricultural settings, we shape, manipulate and modify the land for our own gain. In doing so, the architectural shapes and patterns we create form part of our cultural landscape, and communicate the history and heritage of a place.

Sarah’s aim with her work is to highlight and celebrate places we pass every day and fail to notice or choose to ignore.

As an artist and climber, I’m interested in the visual appeal of geology. Why it is that alpinists are drawn to certain mountains, or why rock climbers describe their routes as beautiful. As a climber I want to experience these places, but as an artist I want to capture the essence of them.”

Originally coming from an illustration background, Tessa has worked extensively within the outdoor industry, providing artwork for numerous organisations and publications, including; British Mountaineering Council, National Trust, Alpinist magazine (USA), Mountain Equipment, Rock and Ice magazine (USA), Climb magazine (UK) and Kendal Mountain Festival amongst others.

In 2017 she was invited to undertake a residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, Canada as part of the Banff Mountain Film Festival granting her the Fleck Fellowship Award.

I am a mixed media artist working predominantly with photography and stitch. Identity is a recurring theme of my research and practice, especially in relation to locality and place – I’m interested in how imagery holds memories and how those images can be distorted through stitch and physical manipulation in order to capture feelings of change and the passage of time. I take inspiration from my own upbringing in North Wales, an area rich in history and culture.

Designer & glass artist Caroline Rees works from her studio near the beach on the beautiful Gower Peninsula.

Originally trained as a textile designer her creative journey has included the design of fabrics, glass and paper

She began using her stencil technique to create architectural sandblasted glass about 15 years ago and has undertaken numerous commissions for public and private space. More recently she has employed the same process to create a collection of intricate papercuts which are framed and function as artworks in their own right.

Passionate about drawing, design and decoration, Caroline uses both paper and glass as a surface to embellish, enjoying the fact that she is creating a product which is both decorative and beautiful.