Sarah McAlister Greater London, United Kingdom
I am a new mixed media artist, having come to it from a textile-making (including mainly millinery, weaving, spinning, dying, knitting, sewing and lacemaking) background and recently discovered that my making skills can be a good solid foundation on which to build my creative confidence and extend into a textile art practice.
I love all kinds of textiles and exploring and experimenting with how they work together and alone. Stitching is a joy to me and I have recently discovered textile printing, which has been a revelation. 3-D textile construction, lace making and layering are a source of wonder for me. Actually, if truth be told, there isn't much connected with textile processes, experimenting, research and construction that doesn't excite me. I am so lucky to be able to go out and practice my art and continue to be given permission to not follow a formula, textbook or pattern, but to create without restriction. Making marks with stitch and telling a story or projecting an emotion through textiles has become a new way of thinking for me. My practice is currently looking at how a person fits in or finds their place. Othering is experienced by many people, probably many don't realise it, and I am optimistic that there will be a way to find place for everyone. This is a theme I would like to explore further. I completed a textile Foundation course at Morley College in Summer 2022 and want to explore developmental opportunities, residencies and working with artist groups before looking at further study. A recurring theme throughout my foundation course has been "home" and the title of my final major project, which is made up of four separate pieces/panels is "Coming Home". My current practice is extending the theme of exclusion and developing the motif of a chain link fence to produce a piece called Barriers. My social media profiles are currently (mainly) connected to my hat making and millinery. I hope to extend these to include more of my textile art soon.
Artwork
Bletchley Park (test piece), Textile, 2023
Bike Chain, Sublimation printed found fabric, 2023
Turn to the light (test), Wire, thread, glass, 2023
Samples of knit, felt and bobbin lace, mixed, 2022
Woven Sampler, mixed textiles, 2021
memories, mixed media, 2022
Postcards, screen print on fabric, 2022
Balustrade, 2021
Townscape 2, 2021
Townscape 1, Sublimation print on textile, 2021
Little House, monoprint acrylic on paper and collage, 2021
Sampler 2, textile, 2021
Sampler, Textile, 2021
Coming Home, textile, 2022
Money and Power, wire, electric cable, coins, 2022