Creating a themed collection

I think I've found my niche! At least, I've found a creative outlet that I am loving. If you've been reading my intermittent blogs over the last year or so, you'll know that I've been making textile art pictures from tiny pieces of fabrics. You can read about the processes involved in this blog, so I won't explain that here, and you can find out more about the pieces that I've made, and the inspiration behind them, in other blogs. Did my enjoyment of making these fabric mosaics come through in the blogs? Whether it did or not, I've certainly become passionate about this form of creativity!

One of the driving forces behind this is a wish to make a collection of works based on views seen on walks around where I live. I am fortunate to live in the village of Holymoorside near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, where there are numerous footpaths, tracks and lanes through varied countryside.

Most days, my husband and I go out for a walk and many of these are in the local area so that we can walk from our house without the need to use any form of transport. I often take photos of views, scenes and features that catch my eye, and some of these have already become the basis for textile pictures.

"#1 Bluebell Time" - an A4 fabric mosaic that is also available as a print

"#2 The Millpond" - small 4 x 6 inch fabric mosaic: Sold

"#4 Old Gate on Harewood Road" - 6 x 6 inch fabric mosaic on canvas board - Sold

"#5 View from Windyfields" - 5 x 7 inch fabric mosaic - Sold

Our most frequent walk is up a hill at the end of our road where the public footpath leads through several fields of pastureland to the brow of the hill and down to a stile into a lane. Towards the top of the hill, there is what appears to be a single oak tree, but which, when you get close, is seen to be two growing very close to each other and another, younger tree, behind. Not surprisingly, I have taken photos of these at different times of the year and have now made three pictures of them showing the seasonal changes:

"#3a Windyfields Oaks in summer"

"#3b Windyfields Oaks in autumn" - Sold

"#3c Windyfields Oaks in winter" now available online.

These trees evoke many memories amongst Holymoorsiders who remember climbing them as youngsters and now enjoy sitting on the logs beside them - fallen branches from an earlier time - enjoying the views down over the village.

My album of photos is growing and with it the desire to depict more of them in fabrics and add to the "Walks around Holymoorside" collection. I'm further spurred on in this by the sale of several of those that I have already made.

Here are some of the local scenes that may well be turned into future textile mosaics.

Watch this space for future creations and, if you know the area and have a suggestion to make of a view or location that I should depict in this way, do let me know!