During my Foundation Diploma at www.westdeanorg.uk I undertook a series of courses working on both paper and fabric.  Reflecting on what I had done over the two year, I realised that the work which got me most excited was that involving texture. Whilst I enjoyed printing in various forms, the flat and pristine outcomes just did not resonate with what I am all about which is texture, movement, mark making,  serendipity, rough edges and a certain rawness.

Earlier this year I spent time with the lovely Jilly Morris – doing a course called “Visual language – marks, textures and surface.”  I knew immediately I saw her work that she and I were on the same wavelength and so it proved!  In fact, in between booking the course and undertaking it, a couple of people said, “I know who you should do a course with ….” which further endorsed my feeling.

If you like what I like, I thoroughly recommend a course with Jilly – here’s a taste of what we did – it involved sandpapers, stickers, wire brushes, sticking tape, beeswax, pastels, and WD40 to name but a few!

These are really simple starting points.  Each of Jilly’s pieces comprise many layers and I look forward to further experimentation.  So far, I have been playing with salt and saline solution, lemon  juice, PVA glue and masking tape, liquid soap, candle wax, various polishes, sand, golden texture mediums and cold wax medium.  I am restricting art media to acrylic ink and charcoal powder for the time being.