Home News For the Love of Fibre & Felt Exhibition at Borders Textile Towerhouse

For the Love of Fibre & Felt Exhibition at Borders Textile Towerhouse

For the Love of Fibre & Felt Exhibition at Borders Textile Towerhouse

New work inspired by countryside and coast by Ann Smith

Ann Smith is a mixed media artist who works in oils, acrylics and textiles from her studio in Langholm.  After graduating from Heriot Watt University in Galashiels she was employed in the textile/clothing industry and uses her years of working with colour and textiles to inspire her own artwork.

Her wool felt ‘paintings’, which feature in this exhibition, depict her love of the outdoors, with inspiration taken from the countryside, coastlines and a range of flora.  The results are always colourful and brimming with texture and surface interest.

Ann uses a selection of wool fibres, including Merino and Blue Face Leicester, as well as silks, to create visual interest and texture.  Colours and fibres are carded to make beautiful blends, which are used to form the background of each piece. All the artwork is made by hand using the wet-felting technique, with needle felting adding the finer details.  Hand and free motion embroidery stitching complete the work and enhance the uniqueness of every piece.

Ann says of her work: The joy of felting is that you are never quite sure how each piece is going to come out after the fulling process is complete.  This can result in some exciting blends, colour combinations and surface interest within the piece.  It all adds to the look of the finished ‘painting’.  I am very much looking forward to exhibiting my wool felt pieces at the Border Textile Towerhouse, bringing beautiful wool fibres to life in a selection of wool felt ‘paintings’ inspired by nature.

Live Borders brings an exciting and varied range of exhibitions across the Scottish Borders. All details of upcoming exhibitions can be found on the website; there is something for everyone.

For The Love of Fibre and Felt

Saturday 2 November 2024 – Monday 3 February 2025

Monday, Wednesday – Saturday 10:00 – 16:00 (closed Tuesday and Sunday)

Borders Textile Towerhouse, 1 Tower Knowe, Hawick, TD9 9EN

Tel: 01450 377615 

Email: museums@liveborders1.org.uk