Valeries Arts and Crafts

Lifelong interest in arts and crafts and in many media. Have returned to my first loves: drawing, embroidery and sewing.

I love arts and crafts in all their forms and, since childhood, have experimented with many of them. In the 1960s I took design and pattern classes with Trata Drescha, a leading mosaic artist, whose work was commissioned for the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral. In the 1990s, when photography was my passion, I gained a distinction in a City and Guilds Photographic Darkroom course, which enabled me to bring out the best in black and white images.

In recent years my focus has shifted toward textiles and their use in creating quilts and embroideries for use as fountain pen cases, wall-hangings or pieces for the bed or table. I played about with the techniques of tapestry weaving using first a frame loom and then a small four shaft loom, in which I made some silk scarves as beginner pieces. Whatever the craft, I have always enjoyed the challenge and the fun of creating something, whether the end result was satisfactory or not. I am always hypercritical of what I make, but others seem not to mind the little ‘quirks’ which creep in. At present, my focus is on three areas: quilting, embroidery and drawing.

Embroidery and quilts: I love traditional quilts and embroideries but recently have become interested in developing a freer, more improvisational way of working, not limited by the very formal and precise designs of traditional quilting, lovely as they are. In my embroidery I am exploring the incorporation of a variety of threads and materials (such as Mulberry bark and silk cocoons) to add dimension and texture, and am loving this adventure.

My drawings: I use a fineliner pen, plus pencil, to produce my very decorative illustrations. Inspiration is drawn from many sources, including my own earlier designs for needlepoint canvases. Most are worked in black pen, though a hint of subtle colour has been known to creep in! I take my inspiration from anything and everything, from the sublime to the ridiculous. Museums are a great resource, as are books, but we are surrounded by patterns and details which, sadly, we do not always notice. When walking about, I tend to look up rather than down, as the tops of old buildings can have wonderful carvings on them, as can the many huge old doors which grace buildings. I offer high quality prints made with pigment ink and archival or fine art papers.

I like the direct, personal interaction with customers, and obtaining their feedback, something I really missed when COVID happened. I sell online via Folksy, so if youd like to see more, please do check out my shop: (see below).

Thanks for your interest, and come back soon!
Valerie