Celebrating UK Artists 4: Sian Kibblewhite

Welcome to the fourth interview celebrating the talents of British artists in the field of scrapbooking, photography, mixed-media, art journaling, feltmaking and quilting.  Some names you may know and some may not be so familiar but they are all hugely talented.

This week we move away from mixed media artists to a Felt Artist, Sian Kibblewhite.

*Brief Bio

Taught for 30 years and retired 2000, since then I have completed City and Guilds Creative Computing and been awarded a Medal of Excellence.  Have studied City and Guilds Feltmaking to Diploma Level during the past 4 years.  I run workshops and write articles on many aspects of textiles.

 

*Who or what are your creative influences?  And why?

My grandmother was a tailoress and craftswomen and experimented with textiles in 1950 onwards, I was surrounded by fabric and was encouraged to sew, knit and crochet

*What is your preferred medium of creativity?   What appeals to you about this?

Anything connected with fabric and thread.  I love texture, colour and the ability to create 3 dimensional effects and layers.

 

*What other areas of creativity do you dabble in?

Painting and sculpture and designing on the computer.

*What is one of your earliest creative memories?

I was always interested in creating patterns and drawings in Primary school

 

*Pablo Picasso said: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”   How did you find this transition worked in your life?

I went to a Grammar School and was encouraged to study more academic subjects thus my teacher Training was in Biological Sciences.  It was only when I qualified and went to teach in a Middle school that I was asked to teach Art as well as all other subjects.  My preparation for the art sessions started a passion for a Multicraft approach.

*How did you find your creative style?

Difficult to define, I have always been interested in the landscape and everything connected to nature and I seem to return to it time and time again.

 

*What activity do you use to jumpstart your creativity?

I take loads of photographs and then I sketch from photographs.

 *Describe your style in using 5 different words.  Share your thoughts about these words.

I don’t know whether I have a style as such, I am interested in creating an impression of a scene.

*Which is your favourite technique?

Layering of fabric and burning areas of the surfaces to reveal underlying layers.

 

*Favourite art gallery or museum?

Design Museum in Gent, Belgium

 *Favourite book?

Celebrate your creative self by Mary Todd Beam

*Where you can find Sian

Website: www.fabriclandscapes.co.uk

If you were able to ask Sian anything what would you ask?  Please add your question to the comments below.

See you next Friday for an interview with Anneliese Bates.