Meet the Artist

Bev Harris

Art Education: Chichester University College 1993-1998 BA (Hons) Fine Art with Related Arts
South Downs College, Crookhorn 1992-1995 Access Art and Design O’ and A’ Level Art and Design

I began using felt to create pictures and hangings on to which I would ‘draw’ with free machine embroidery. I began my artistic career as a painter and layering the coloured fleece is like mixing paint, as the felt dries the colours emerge with vibrancy and depth. Free machine embroidery adds texture and movement, where there is heavy stitching the felt compresses which enables the areas around the stitching to be more prominent creating a 3d effect.

I enjoy looking at different cultures around the world and have a love of nature and surface pattern which I bring to my feltmaking. Each piece of felt is different and even though a certain amount of decision making is made when placing colours, the element of surprise is always present when each piece dries ready to be made into bags, brooches, jewellery, cards, pictures and hangings – each area of the felt is different and so each item whether it be a brooch or piece of jewellery, has it’s own individual look.