ann small - mentor and maker 
     

I have been working as a serious textile artist for several years.

I enjoy making and exhibiting and particularly like to teach and encourage others to excel.   Which has involved teaching City and Guilds courses, Degree courses and privately.   I founded and mentored the smallCHAT exhibiting group and also Studio One.  My work is in many private homes and has been  exhibited widely.  I have won several awards including the National Embroidery Championships. 

Initially my experience was built from machine embroidery;  however my real passion has become fabric manipulation – layering, slashing and manipulating fabrics to create texture, colour and design.  The finished pieces are often used for interiors and sometimes for functional clothing. Recent work has included some mixed media giving my work a quirky edge. 

Sources of inspiration change from time to time but whatever the starting point I usually managed to leave my particular mark on it by way of ageing or brave colour choices.