Frances Green

My employment involved occupations other than art; it is only very recently, and at last, that I have been able to enjoy working with thread and fabric full time. My work typically uses a range of mixed media techniques, combining textiles (vintage linen/velvet/cotton fabrics and/or handmade felt, traditional embroidery and contemporary textile techniques), printing, painting, small objects and the written word. My pieces are often inspired by narratives relating to the inter-connectedness of nature/the natural world, place, history and folklore – I delight in a world seen from the perspective of below, the tiny and transient, the easily-overlooked. Old books, discovered fabrics and miniature items provide a rich source of inspiration. I enjoy colour and playing with threads, lines and blocks of contrasting hues and shades. The resulting art works are typically pieces capturing a thought, a mood, an event or a story; everything is essentially narrative. One current challenge is that of exercising constraint on my textile practice. It is easy to be distracted by the varied range of techniques and I need to find more of a unique voice. Work for my first ERTF piece for the Market Town exhibition involved constructing purses and I realise I am intrigued by the possibility of extending this focus. Purses are metaphors for so many things… the keepers of history in their design and secrets in their contents. So that’s my current focus! Frances Green, August 2019