Barbara Weeks

In my studio, compelled to make. So many choices, surrounded by the materials of my craft, primarily Australian Merino Wool and fine silk. So seductive! So many possibilities for 2D and 3D forms.

I create depth of colour and texture in surface design through the wet felting process. Laminating wool to painted silk gives me the abstract quality that best conveys my artistic intention. It demands that I engage intimately with the qualities in these natural fibres. Working directly with my hands is liberating, exciting, risky and yet calming, serendipitous. The cloth created is transformed through a natural manipulation; the result of the characteristics of wool fibre and it's propensity to fuse through the application of water and soap, a magical process. The addition of stitch offers a meditative process.

I have been working with textiles over five decades, teaching and exhibiting in the UK and Internationally. Contemporary quilt making has been a major focus; the diverse methods of colouring cloth a continuing passion.

I am a member of the OZQuilt Network, Bunbury Felting Group, WAFTA, the IFA and an Honorary Life member of the Quilters Guild of the British Isles. I was delighted to be selected for the 2021 Busselton Art Award, and look forward to more exhibiting opportunities