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.
