Maryanne Moodie

There are so many amazing wall hangings around at the moment. I love that this craft is enjoying a resurgence as I've always been partial to a bit of fibre art - the weirder the better for me. I caught up with rising star of the scene Maryanne Moodie to find out more about her work.

How and when did you start weaving? About three years ago. I was searching for a craft to pursue and when I found weaving, something inside me just turned on. I was hooked! What materials do you use and how long does each piece take? I use all types of yarn and textiles in my work. I use lots of vintage yarn as well as small batch, hand spun and hand dyed wool. I also use handmade beads sometimes, as well as things I find at the hardware store. What do you enjoy most about the process? I enjoy working closely with my clients to ensure I create a piece that is wholly them. It will be a piece that has the privilege of hanging in their personal private spaces. I want to create a piece that will bring good vibrations into their homes and their lives. Where do you sell? I sell only via commission at the moment. I feel so lucky that I can enjoy the process in an individual way that is different for each client. Do you have any plans for the future? Yes, I am setting up weaving classes in NYC and Australia and I am commissioning a carpenter to help me put beginners weaving kits together. I am also filming an online weaving course that I hope to have live in April/ May. All very exciting!

To see more of Maryanne's work, please visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden

Last week I took a trip to St Ives and visited the Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden. This is one of my favourite things to do in St Ives as it always seems like a little oasis of calm in the middle of the busy seaside town. The museum and garden are based at Barbara's own home, the delightful Trewyn Studios, so you can see the sculptures in the environment in which they were created and nosy around her former studio. It is a magical place with huge modernist pieces in bronze, stone and wood as well as smaller paintings, drawings and archive material on display. It's a great place to take kids but also somewhere you could happily spend a quiet afternoon alone, reading a good book and soaking up the atmosphere. I thoroughly recommend a visit if you are ever in the area...

Inspiration: Susanna Bauer

These delicate crocheted leaves are by German artist Susanna Bauer, whose work combines stones, leaves and wood with traditional craft techniques. Her work is painstakingly intricate and encourages the viewer to study the natural forms just as much as her embellishment. Sometimes when an artist manipulates a natural object as the basis of their work, I can't help but think it would have been better left in its original state. In this case though, the complementary forms of the leaves and the sinuous thread combine to make something which truly exceeds the sum of its parts.

www.susannabauer.com

Hooked Wool Drawings

I love a bit of textile art so these hooked wool drawings by Altoon Sultan are right up my street. These three pieces are part of a twenty-four part series in which linen is painted with egg tempera then stitched with hand-dyed wool. I find the contrast of the geometric forms on slubby linen combined with paint and embroidery intriguing. I particularly like the different layers of texture and the three-dimensional nature of the embroidery.

www.altoonsultan.com