Mary Frances Heaton embroidered a selection of pocket books on one of her sampler which are simply beautiful.

I have taken inspiration from these to develop work as Embroiderers Guild Scholar.
I want to explore areas of Mary's Musical life and her creativity as a institutionalized female patient.

http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/quality-innovation/mental-health-museum/

New work coming together, hoping to get back into the print room next week.I have been researching pocket books dating back to the 18th & 19th Century.

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/pocketbook-118928

Hand made buttons have given me further inspiration in my new work.

Back to the print room.

Sampling whilst at Knit & stitch , really great week met some lovely people ,very inspiring/

Harrogate Knitting & Stitching Show.

Come  see my work at Harrogate starts tomorrow until Sunday 27th November.

Just ordered my postcards to take with me to Harrogate and going through my work. I am giving a talk at the Mental Health Museum on the 19th November as part of a Festival and new Saturday opening times 11- 3pm

Just received my complimentary tickets for Harrogate Knitting & Stitching show in Which I am Exhibiting from the 24th November - 27th November as Embroiderers Guild Scholar.

Had a wonderful time exhibiting at the knitting & Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace an met some lovely people.
Looking forward to Knit & Stitch Harrogate on the 24th November

 New research into the musical life of Mary, her love and inspiration.One of her passions which definitely seems to have kept her alive inside.

Packing my work ready to Exhibit at the Knitting and stitching show at Alexandra Palace next week.

 

Beginnings of new development work in connection to Mary Frances Heaton.
Following further research at the Mental Health Museum I have begun looking at Mary's Musical Connections.The Archives hold many music sheets and hymn sheets in their collection.I have found these fascinating to explore.
Mary's samplers are currently on display at the Welcome collection's Exhibition, Bedlam: the asylum and beyond.
https://wellcomecollection.org/bedlam

I received a copy of the embroiderers guild yesterday,having been prompted by the Alumni members of the Bradford School of Art,Thank you. I am producing additional work at the moment to exhibit at the Alexandra Palace 5th-9th October. I have been invited by the Embroiderers Guild,I haven't been before looking forward to it.  

Wakefield Mental Health Museum.
A collaboration between the Welcome collection and Wakefield Mental Health Museum Mary Francis Heatons samplers will be on display in London as part of the Exhibition Bedlam The Asylum & beyond from September 15th 2016.
https://wellcomecollection.org/bedlam

My work is on display along side the former patients samplers is Wakefield Mental Health Museum from September 7th  'Dark Corners' will be on loan to the Museum until June 2017. 
http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/quality-innovation/mental-health-museum/

Returning to the Mental health museum on Thursday to follow up more research for my Scholarship with the Embroiderers Guild and to assist with final preparation for my work to go on display along side Mary Francis Heatons Samplers.Her work is truly amazing.

Looking forward to taking my work to the Mental Health Museum Wakefield tomorrow.It a real honour to place my work against Mary Francis Heatons samplers, she showed great resilience I really admire her.Many people suffered from mental health in the nineteenth century and like Mary were not rehabilitated back to their communities, but held for many years in establishments like the West Riding Pauper & Lunatic Asylum. 

Really pleased to have been awarded the Distinction Award by the Society of Designer Craftsmen.The Exhibition finishes on Sunday the 21st August. My work will then be on loan to the Mental Health Museum Wakefield to be Exhibited beside Mary Francis Heaton's Samplers, from whom I drew my inspiration
http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/quality-innovation/mental-health-museum/.

During my visit to London I visited the Science Museum & the Welcome Collection, I wanted to learn more about research into the brain , I came across interesting exhibits in connection with mental health and dimentia.

Great Exhibition & Lovely people. This week has been very Exciting. I was awarded a Distinction Award by the Society Of Designer Craftsmen at the Mall Galleries Exhibition,London.
The week has been a great experience and I have learnt so much about exhibiting , Thank you to Dawn Thorne & Christine Dove for making me so welcome.

Been a busy week Society of Designer Crafts at the Mall is fast approaching I have been pricing and listing work ready for the exhibition. Further research for development work for the Embroiderers Guild Scholarship Has also been keeping me busy.

http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/quality-innovation/mental-health-museum/

            Designer Crafts On the Mall.

 Looking forward to Exhibiting at the Mall Gallery London

Mental Health Museum Wakefield Facebook page

Mental Health Museum

Page Liked · 6 January · 

Yesterday we were visited by textile designer Amanda Woollard who took inspiration from our museum collections for her BA in Surface Design and Textile Innovation. Amanda has created delicate and beautiful pieces that respond to experiences recorded by Mary Frances Heaton.

Mary was a music mistress who was admitted to the West Riding Lunatic Asylum on 16th Sept 1837. She recorded her thoughts and frustrations at her admittance to the asylum as well damning indictments against those in power in beautiful stitched samplers. You can see Mary's original samplers on display at the Mental Health Museum.

http://www.artsthread.com/portfolios/darkcorners/

Image: 'Mary Frances Heaton Sampler' © Mental Health Museum.

https://www.facebook.com/Mental-Health-Museum-1411952179024477/

Revisiting Research .

I have enjoyed looking through my research notes from which I hope to continue my study of rehabilitation during the mid to late nineteenth century. My main research focuses on a female patient incarcerated in West Riding Asylum with symptoms of epilepsy and insanity. Mary dealt with her fate in an emotional but practical manner using her artistic flare for embroidery to engage us in her plight. Her samplers are biographical and historical pieces which represent a period when mental health was only just beginning to be understood. Occupational therapies such as gardening, weaving, painting were used to develop patients well being and rehabilitation.I have found in my own work embroidery has helped center my thoughts. Difficulties seem to fade and my artistry takes over. I believe the repetition of stitch soothes the mind and helps us escape from our conscious every day thoughts.  

Taught Exhibition at Bradford School Of Arts & Media.

 The Exhibition Ends today, It has been lovely to take part and I feel quite humble to have shown my work along side a group of Inspiring People who previously attended Bradford College.

Having had a month of packing and unpacking after moving home I feel ready to start researching to develop new work. The last few weeks have been really busy I have had hardly any time to think,so I aim to take this week to gather my thoughts and read some of my previous research material.

I have just been selected as a scholar for 2016/17 by the Embroiderers Guild and I am looking forward to developing my degree work further.
I plan to go through my previous research as I found the subject of rehabilitation and occupation therapy so interesting. Working voluntary within a college to help young adults with learning disabilities over the last year has been very rewarding and inspiring.It has given me a greater understanding of mental health and the importance of crafts to develop peoples motor skills and welbeing.

Currently putting together a selection of my work to exhibit at the Dye house Gallery at the Bradford School of  Art. The Exhibition 'Taught' is an opportunity for staff and former students to showcase there work and celebrates the History of Bradford School of arts and achievements of its Alumni.

Had a great time at the Fashion & Embroidery Show 2016 at the NEC Birmingham.
I met some lovely people there and future contacts. I would like to thank Madeira for sponsoring me over the final year of my degree and for giving me this opportunity to exhibit my work.
Here is a selection of images taken over the duration of the show.

Had a lovely few days in Birmingham and met some really inspiring people. The Amount of interest in my work has been very positive.

Almost ready for the Fashion & Embroidery show at the NEC Birmingham. Looking forward to Exhibiting again.

http://www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk/quality-innovation/mental-health-museum/

I have accepted an invitation today, having been selected as a Maderia UK sponsored student to display my work at the Fashion& Embroidery show Birmingham NEC in March 2016.http://www.fashionembroidery.co.uk/birmingham/
My work in relation to mental health patient Mary Francis Heaton is beginning to expand, having had a meeting two weeks ago at the Wakefield Mental Health Museum. I have been invited to display my work along side Mary's embroidered pieces. My final degree work and dissertation are homage to her life spent within the West Riding Asylum.
 This is a great compliment,as I have grown to admire Mary through out my research. Buy building a up picture of her life and psychological state of mind,I created a body of work I hoped would portray her story.

I have been looking at book binding idea's today as a progression to show my art work in a 3d form. Textile art enables me to express my ideas from my research to develop pieces which define moments of time. Working with young adults with disabilities gives me the  inspiration to reflect upon my own work and how I can overcome obstacles to produce a finished piece.
My work with them allows me to think about producing ideas and how to demonstrate it. I have come to realise you don't have to over complicate things to create beautiful art work.

Back to work, I have been revisiting my final degree work, its been the first time I have been able to sit back and look at what I actually achieved last year.
I would like to pursue further research into mental health and how creativity we can be used to help rehabilitate peoples lives . My dissertation gave me an in site into the development of occupational therapy and I find myself wanting to learn more. I would like a deeper understanding of how the mind develops and engages us in repetitive behaviour for instance, how these behaviours used in creativity calm and stabilize mood.
My work has been inspired greatly by my previous research and I want to develop my work further this year along side new work.