I am a 2D and 3D mixed media textile artist based in the wonderful market town of Thame, England.
All my pieces are available for rent or sale. If you would like to discuss any of the work please send me a message.
About Me
In the 1980’s I had the pleasure of studying under the inspirational Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn at Windsor and Maidenhead College.
I then had to shelve my embroidery aspirations while raising my family by working full time.
Now I am retired, I have embraced exploring a new world of textile possibilities, experimenting with new bonding techniques, vanishing fabrics, and embellishing machines.
My Inspiration
I have spent the last 5 years trying to find my “voice in thread”.
Light and dark spaces, reflections, and shapes catch my eye and I am often to be found capturing images of countryside, gardens, city scapes, weather (especially clouds), mist, and stars.
To my eye dark cloudy days form the most dramatic scenes, especially when the sun pierces through onto simple shapes.
Greenery and plants are some my favourite subjects, especially flower shapes and colours. Close up photos often excite me with the abstract colours and forms, like miniature landscapes of their own.
My methods
All my work is slow stitched by hand.
It is a deliberate choice not to use a sewing machine as it is the tactile connection of the hand sewing process that I love. I find it therapeutic and meditative like gardening, my other love.
I rarely sketch out my ideas beforehand but instead enjoy being led by a random fabric or texture and moving it around to form ideas.
I photograph and tear out pictures from magazines for colour combinations that strike me as interesting and different.
Like a magpie, I collect vast archives of thread, fabric, and felt, trying out many combinations before deciding on my objective.
Brenda Bradford Contemporary Textiles 