Tuesday 8 December 2015

Had a lovely day today at my graduation , nice to see everyone again and catch up.

Friday 27 November 2015

Work now on display at knitting & Stitching Show Harrogate on the Bradford College Stand.
Called in Yesterday to see the Exhibition and had a lovely chat with Anthea Godfrey about her work on the Magna Carta Embroidery and the stitch work which went into the Pope Innocent the piece.
I find the detail of the work amazing. Its especially interesting after my research into fine cells work and their part in this project shows how talented they are.



Wednesday 18 November 2015

Had a busy week preparing ideas for the christmas fair at the community college, I have been creating deisgns to transfer onto fabric using batik. The students have really enjoyed learning new techniques combining the use of  procion dyes and wax. We are hoping to combine the use of stitch to embellish the bags we are making.

Thursday 22 October 2015

Really busy week traveled to London to the Society Of Designer Craftsmen. Had a really useful mentoring session with Armando Magnino http://www.magnino.co.uk/  Called at the welcomelibrary and  British Library on the way home really interesting places.

Friday 25 September 2015

Thursday 17 September 2015

Inspired by the Craftspace commission I have decided to carry on my research into local history and the connection to Lunar Society of whom Joseph Priestley was an influential member.
Science and historical discoveries have always been of interest and I find the context in which Joseph's discoveries were made very interesting. His link with Birmingham and the lunar Society impacted his life greatly and his connections to his home in Birstall to which he never returned.

Wednesday 9 September 2015

Craftspace insite 2015




Flower pounding created at the insite festival by a member of the public.People were able to engage in activities new to them and enjoyed sitting talking and expressing their artistic abilities.
I met a collection of lovely people who wanted to sit, chat and take anything from a few minutes to an hour out of their day to engage in activities.I found this experience very rewarding.
My inspiration for Craftspace INSITE 2015 developed from research into William Withering 1741-1799 and his connections to Birmingham and the Lunar society. An English botanist,geologist,chemist and physician,
William discovered digitalis during his botanical study of the foxglove.
His use of the microscope and inventions of field microscopes has inspired this work. The slides used during the nineteenth century are represented in my art installation in Birmingham Cathedral Square. 
The above shows development work created for the commission. 















I decided to use linen fabric as a ground for my designs. The natural fibers react well with discharge paste and bleach out areas of print.

Botanical prints created by flower pounding add subtle colour to the highlighted areas.
 

Friday 4 September 2015

Experimental mark making and stitch using a combination of inks, natural dye stains using chard. 

Saturday 29 August 2015

Developing my ideas for Craftspace this week. Spent a couple of hours walking round the grounds of Oakwell Hall,Birstall photographing flora

collecting fallen leaves to create interesting prints.
http://www.friendsofoakwellhall.org.uk/

Monday 24 August 2015


 William Withering, microscopes and botanical remedies discovering what lies beneath the lens have inspired my current work.


Monday 17 August 2015

Here is a link to my Graduate work portfolio at New Designers London 2015
http://www.artsthread.com/profile/amandawoollard/

Sunday 16 August 2015






EVENTS

In:Site returns to Birmingham Cathedral this September

In:Site, a festival of graduate creativity

All events are free and open to all!

Outside in Birmingham Cathedral Square, Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2QB
7th– 11th September, 11am-6pm
Work is on show until the 13th SeptemberArtists will be working in the square between 11am and 6pm each day. You can come along and watch makers creating their work from wood turning and hand-built ceramics to casting jewellery in pewter. You can join in with many of the activities.
This year, the festival has become part of the Cathedral’s tercentenary celebrations as many for the artworks will be inspired by the history and heritage of the cathedral and the stories associated with the way in which the area has changed over time.


Friday 14 August 2015

Spent the day researching the Lunar Society Birmingham in preparation for the Graduate Festival. My current work is inspired by the Botanical work of William Withering and his approach to science and medicine using plants.It links quite well with my home town of Batley being the home of another member of the society Joseph Preistley.

Thursday 30 July 2015


Memoria Exhibition Armley Mill
Preview evening tonight.
The exhibition has a collection of works by artists from Bradford College who have been invited by Armley Mill Museum to take part in the Memoria Exhibition along side artist David Bridges.
Bridgeshttp://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Pages/Memoria.aspx



My work has been inspired by the mills tactile surfaces,and the light which illuminates the dark spaces through the machinery.This piece was developed by looking at the irrigated roofs laden with moss which cast light through the mills windows. 

Thursday 23 July 2015








Putting together a collection of my work to exhibit at Armley Mill as part of the Memoria Exhibition  developed by artist David Bridges. I will be exhibiting be some of my earlier degree work in connection with the mill space and surfaces. The Exhibition starts Sat 1st August - 4th October. http://www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries/Pages/Memoria.aspx

Saturday 4 July 2015

CRAFT SPACE GRADUATE FESTIVAL.

I received an email to enter the Craftspace festival in Birmingham for new graduates if anyone's interested take a look   http://www.craftspace.co.uk/insitefestival and apply.

Monday 29 June 2015

Attending New Designers has been a great experience I had great feed back on my work which has been exciting. The talent there is astounding,it has really opened my eyes to other disciplines and the way they work and collaborate.

Saturday 13 June 2015




Final collection ,preview night went really well.Proud of all the BA (Hons)Contemporary Surface & Textile students we have all worked hard and support each other this past year. I'm gonna miss everyone.

 Final Collection all came together all the hard work done.Spent the last week setting up final year show,really pleased with the outcome.Looking forward to New Designers just want to enjoy the experience.

Monday 1 June 2015



 Just finishing off final samples  and putting together portfolio for New Designers.


Almost finished my final collection just a few finishing touches to my embroidery

Monday 25 May 2015

Final collection coming together just ordered business cards for New Designers London.24 June 2015.


                                    Photography taken at the Thackray Museum Leeds as part of my research for promotional images for my final collection.

Monday 11 May 2015

Thursday 30 April 2015

Final collection coming together,just need to work on embroidery techniques.

Dissertation nearly finished and then I can concentrate on my other work.

Inspiration;

Mental health patients in the early nineteenth century and the institutions such as West Riding Pauper and Lunatic Asylum have inspired my final collection.
I have been analyzing samplers embroidered by a former patient as part of my research for dissertation.
I wanted to find out more about how people were cast and the moral treatments and remedies used to treat mental illness.
It has been a fascinating topic and I have learnt so much about mental illness treatments and the poor squalid conditions in the eighteenth century through to the late nineteenth century when medical procedures and combined therapies where used.   


 

Sunday 19 April 2015

Working on new designs for my final collection for making techniques.Inspired by my dissertation research into a patient at West Riding lunatic asylum during the nineteenth century.

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Have been developing my print work and currently looking at embroidery sampling. Looking at memory revealed through fabric printed using discharge paste. Procion dyes disperse really well into the linens I have been using.

Thursday 12 March 2015

Today I am continuing with the development of my sampling for making techniques.I have my prototype designs assembled and ready to hang i want to  get an idea of how they will sit as a collection or contribute to my studio work. 
I have been really busy over the last few weeks researching for dissertation and putting work together for the exhibition at the Sunny Banks Mill Gallery. The Exhibition is on from 7th March- 19th April.
I have exhibited three pieces of work comprising of print and embroidery mounted as canvas based on my work from Armley mills.