DragonLadyDesigns: Textile Art & Craft from Orkney

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About DragonLadyDesigns: Textile Art & Craft from Orkney

Personal Statement

Jo works with mixed media, combining dyed and painted fabrics with fleece and felt, embellished by hand and machine embroidery, couching, quilting and beading.
She often incorporates found objects in her pieces such as shells, driftwood and sea-glass gathered from local beaches, a dimension she added to her needlework whilst studying towards her City and Guilds certificate in Design and Embroidery.
She works her own designs for pictures and wall-hangings and as an ex-archaeologist, it is not surprising that the archaeological and historical heritage of Orkney regularly features in her work. She enjoys working with fabric and yarn using various techniques for other articles such as greetings cards, beaded and embroidered jewellery and trinket boxes, bags, patchwork and appliqué cushions, rag dolls, art dolls and other toys. Her knitted Vikings have become a bit of a trademark, and each one is unique and demands a name!
Recently Jo has been taking classes in traditional Orkney straw-work with a long-time exponent and teacher of the craft, and is now beginning to make baskets and other straw-work articles.
Jo has exhibited and sold her work through local Orkney shops and galleries, and as a proud member of the Orkney Craftsmen’s Guild now undergoing its renaissance as Orkney Arts and Crafts, Jo regularly exhibits and sells her work through their events.
Some of the Jo’s unique pieces have been sent as far afield as eastern Europe, the U.S.A. and Australia and she has undertaken a number of commissions.Recently she has been involved in organising craft demonstrations in association with Historic Scotland and the Orkney Science Festival and for the Tall Ships' visit to Kirkwall in 2011. Developing the out-reach from Orkney Arts and Crafts through demonstrating and holding classes is an are kin which she has become more involved in 2012.
DragonLadyDesigns is committed to sustainable development and has a policy of recycling and re-using materials as far as possible

Year Established: 2004