HELEN NEALE

My work begins from a love of light and colour that I have had all my conscious life. The instant excitement of dyeing is tempered by the slower crafts of spinning and knitting. Although the time put into spinning can never be reflected in the price of the finished piece, the uniqueness of the yarn is an important part of the design. The very scarcity of each batch of yarn is a challenge.

At present, following my Designer Craftsman course at Mansfield I am using the forms and colours of tree bark as my inspiration. There is an interesting problem to be solved in the balancing of colour and texture so that neither one overwhelms the other.

Gradually I am beginning to find other ways of using my skills, and gaining new ones. I enjoy the journey without a planned ending. Exploring the uses of traditional techniques with original design to produce beautiful garments and other textile pieces gives me plenty to be getting on with.