Lizard Dance

Mary Sleigh

Mary Sleigh

I am a textile artist, maker, tutor and author. Much of the joy in what I create is in the actual making process, allowing work to change through construction. Using mixed media is important to my way of working; combining fabric and stitch with other materials and sometimes found objects. Finding connections with places and people and the traces left by past generations are significant to my current work. I have been an avid collector since childhood and my collections map significant moments, capture the essence of a place and offer starting points for new work. Foraging, finding, sorting, remembering, ordering and recording become embedded in developing ideas for new work. I feel passionately that our textile heritage, as well as that of other cultures ought to be celebrated and passed on to future generations. My studies of traditional craft skills and collections of African and Indian textiles are a rich source of inspiration, which refresh my own way of working, going back to the familiar and seeing again with new eyes. I value our rich heritage of ecclesiastical embroidery and textiles too. I continue to support and advise Lincoln and Coventry Cathedrals in the care and conservation of their textiles as well as encourage new work to be undertaken. Alongside my own work I enjoy opportunities to tutor, mentor and share experiences, developing ideas with others who want to extend their practice. I am a full member of the Embroiderers' Guild as well as an active member of The Textile Study Group exhibiting and teaching throughout the UK and abroad.

Read my Blog here

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