Textile Artist, Designer

Dionne Swift studied Embroidery at Goldsmiths College and went on to a Masters within University of Central England. Through printing, dying, and stitching she seeks to share with you her eyesight worldwide.

She actually is also an expert in assisting other music artists fulfil their possible, especially in opening possibilities when you look at the developmental stage of developing textile and fibre art. The woman on the internet and “in individual” workshops have already been called “a recipe for creative engagement”.

Humble Beginnings

TextileArtist.org: Exactly what initially captured your imagination about textile art?

Dionne Swift: I can’t state there was any eureka-type moment. I relish the blend of cloth, process and intent which come together through my work. As students, we adored studying paintings but desired more. Textile art offers a vast palette which goes beyond colour.

What or who had been your early influences and how features your life or upbringing influenced work?

Definitely my Grandmothers were a massive influence. They both knitted and something of those also smocked or embroidered. We always had stunning clothes and comfortable jumpers as soon as we had been growing up. Unconsciously, this developed an appreciation for process of making in addition to experience of cloth.

What was your approach to getting an textile artist?

We took a reasonably formal path: ‘O’ amounts, ‘A’ levels, Foundation Art and Design and BA Honours at Goldsmiths university. A few years later, we returned to knowledge for a Masters in Textiles at UCE (University of Central England) in Birmingham.

something your selected medium and what are your techniques?

Umm… this modifications! For many years I worked solely with all the Devore process – hand painting and dyeing velvet and satin. I’ve had Felt phases (and) print levels but at this time I’m attracting and painting with my sewing machine. I have to amend my practices and medium to suit the problem. This will be an unconscious change.

Environment and Landscape

Just how can you describe your projects and where do you believe it meets in the world of contemporary art?

Could work is an individual a reaction to the environmental surroundings around me personally – the elements we decide to respond to change-over time. We don’t think I’ve ever considered that I have a position within modern art. I do the thing I do and hope that other people enjoy it.

Reveal a little about your procedure and just what environment you like to work in?

At this time, my energies are directed towards my immediate environment as well as the landscape that encompasses me personally. We reside in Holmfirth, Yorkshire and generally are undoubtedly ‘surrounded’. I go, react; record through ideas and photos (and head) back in the studio (in which) I develop further drawings. Greatly stitched pieces develop from speed and power of my level making.

Final summer, we built a great studio within the garden with extensive views along the Holme valleys. Previous rooms have-been developed to double up as training rooms, but this is certainly definitely a private studio. (There’s an excellent local Art Academy that I employ for workshops.)

I take my shoes down on door, once you understand i will play and experiment.

How do you use sketchbooks to develop your work? What are the benefits of working with sketchbooks in the preparatory stages of working on a new piece of textile art?

Everyone loves the playfulness of a sketchbook – personally i think its crucial not to ever be extremely valuable about each page: they should be fun and experimental, maybe not every thing works very first time, however if you don’t take to you may never understand!