For those that have visited our Reception and yoga studio, will have seen the beautiful textiles hanging on the walls. In fact, many of you have been asking about them! We caught up with textile artist, Amy to hear all about growing up in Cornwall, her approach to fabric sourcing and an insight into how she designs these wonderful pieces.
Amy, we love what you do. Can you tell us a little more about your story and how you got to where you are as a textile artist and repair specialist?
When I was little I would play outside a lot, making dens with blankets. I loved the tactile nature of cloth; the softness, the movement and how useful it was. My Mum was into making our clothes and I was absorbed by the sewing machine. I look back now and realise how important it is to tap into those little moments that draw one in. The formative connections are, I think, the indicators of the uncomplicated steps of one's ‘path’. I grew up in a family where we repaired everything and stuff had multiple lives. It was the language I was taught.
What’s your connection to Cornwall? What makes it a special place for you?
I grew up eating sandwiches and taking naps on the south coast beaches of Cornwall. We lived on a little farm, of sorts, just inland. The days of summer seemed to last a lifetime, it was endless days in the rock pools, paddling in the sea. Cornwall is a place of many shades, of folklore, of hidden corners and diverse natural forms. It's the place I feel home. Not in a house so much, but at the coast, in the sea, on the moors, wandering the lanes or out on the cliff path scrambling down to hidden coves. The expanse of sea and the wild flowers, the smell of gorse in spring and the pinks of the sea thrift as it cascades over the cliff edge. I often lay on my back and watch the huge starry sky above me.
We’d love to know a little more about your process and the level of craft involved in the pieces...
Primarily it's about using what is already in abundance and treading gently on Earth. There is so much stuff being produced all the time, it's immense, but then so much goes to waste. My process and purpose look at finding solutions for excess cloth, be it end of roll, dead stock, or fabric that is no longer needed by someone. The process involves deconstructing the cloth, laying the pieces out, seeing patterns within them, looking at my sketches from spending time outside and then reconstructing into tapestries. I have a good relationship with mills and suppliers too, so I can use the end of roll cloth that would otherwise go to waste. It is a slow and steady process, repurposing fabric to make a piece of art. Being adaptable and expansive in thought, to create something out of a given shape and colour. Finding new ways to revise, remake, repurpose and repair a piece of cloth.
I use both machine stitch and hand sewing elements to my work. I plait and drape wool and paint onto canvas or paper.
Also, what inspires you to create?
Spending time looking at the land and the sea, the rocks, the vegetation, the cliff strata and boulders piled high one on top of the other. The Isles of Scilly is an amazing place for this too. Being out on the coast path, I look intently at things. I look at each colour, shape and line, the form of wherever my eye lands. How things sit and how they arrange themselves amongst the landscape.
When I see the work of an artist that draws me in, this makes me want to make work too. I get high on that too.
Lastly, we know you love to get outdoors. With Spring approaching, how will you be making the most of Cornwall during this time?
Imbolc has just passed and spring is on the way, the colours are starting to make their way up through the earth. My life is simple. I do many of the same things year round.. It is a welcomed change when the layers come off and my skin feels the warmth. I love jumping in the sea and feeling the ice cold whip over me. I love to play in the waves, sharing those moments with my children. Hopping over boulders and hooting each other, tucked under the cliffs sheltering from the wind. Feeling happy that we made the effort to put on our damp wetsuits from the day before and get back in the sea to play.
For commissions and other works for sale, visit amybrockmorgan.com / @brockandrollin
Photography by Lucy Laucht
