Jenny Coslett

Mixed media

I spent my working life as a primary school teacher, specialising in arts and crafts and always trying to find time to create hand crafted pieces for home and family.

Since moving to Ilfracombe ten years ago, I have been inspired to develop some existing textiles skills, and to explore new media, skills and techniques. I make hand dyed, appliqued and mixed media wall pieces, useful and decorative ceramic pieces, a variety of prints (including on fabric) with embroidery and embellishments. This rather random range of pieces is brought together into a cohesive whole through my love of colour and pattern.

Using my preferred colour palette of indigo blues, with large splashes of pinks, greens and oranges, I like to experiment and explore new ideas and combinations of media. I seem regularly to return to my much-loved hand embroidery using old linens and jewelled embellishments and have recently begun to experiment with framed ‘collections’ and tableaux.

My inspirations are of course the beautiful environment, but also the great creative energy of the local area. There are colours, patterns, textures and ideas around every corner.