• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • info@carolinebanks.co.uk
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Caroline Banks

  • About
  • Gallery
  • Workshops & Groups
  • Commissions
  • Blog
  • Contact

New Designers Part 1

02/07/2010

Now is the time of year when colleges throw all these fresh new designers out into an already crowded marketplace. I love seeing the range of work produced from all over the UK. This week is textiles, ceramics, glass, silversmithing and jewellery design. It can be very daunting as a visitor – things have a tendancy to merge into a colourful tangle. I like to give myself 2 visits to clarify my thoughts; private views are not normally the best time to see work properly.I have however, already spotted some interesting work so I’d like to share a few images with you:

From Birmingham’s mixed media course Suzi McLaughlin’s tumbling cut-work Garden of Eden was exquisite with different qualities and weights of paper producing a sensual growth on the end of the stand. Cutwork isn’t new but it is rare to see the mix of materials in one piece. The colouring too was very rich.

 Bath graduate Lyn Snow used screen printing which was such a refreshing change from all the digital printing on view. Such a shame I have no decent image of this.  Her huge gestural screen printed lengths were on unbleached linen with machine embroidered elements. I was reminded of work by The Cloth from the 80’s: large painterly mark-making plus a very controlled technique in the stitching. 

On a completely different note and with digital printing, Charlotte Helyar from Edinburgh produces 3D prints. You put on your special glasses to see the fabrics in a totally different light. The kids loved this one. Shona Lansberry produced a digitally printed patchwork quilt – this idea can go in many different directions and is very commercial.

More print students were using digital printing as a tool to do what no other technique can do: at Bucks College, Lois Norman was awarded the BCFA/IDA award for her flock of bird print. Binita Pitrola used dozens of colours in a length of paint stroke stripes which was luscious. Mandi Shawley  printed on frayed strips of georgette which added a softness and lightness to her fabric and Anna Sheppard worked on multicoloured retro watercolour based florals. Very pretty and commercial.

Christpher Stokes’ pieces in silversmithing are very dramatic: his Icarus wings were impossible to ignore. The theme of “accidental mutation ” was intriguing. See his neckpiece below with the retractable hatpins.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Berneice Hammersley says

    27/09/2010 at 01:44

    Why not have the article posted on the facebook? This would be great.

    Reply
  2. Reisen Tuerkei says

    04/11/2010 at 12:08

    I don’t comment on numerous websites but after studying a few of the posts I thought I’d just say Many thanks and Preserve up the exclusive work.

    Reply
  3. tattoo me now review says

    06/11/2010 at 21:46

    Great thanks for this, would just wanna let you know I bookmarked to ur blog too…….thnks =))

    Reply
  4. Lashon Downton says

    09/11/2010 at 06:10

    Thank you so much for posting this excellent content! I am looking forward to seeintg more posts.

    Reply
  5. free itunes codes says

    10/12/2010 at 07:39

    great post I subscribed to your blog!

    Reply
  6. Todays Tip says

    22/12/2010 at 15:26

    Good write-up, I am digging your site and am including it to my RSS aggregator. I use feedburner, is this the most effective 1 you believe?

    Reply
  7. Stolarz says

    31/12/2010 at 14:53

    I really enjoyed reading this post. Great step by step description!

    Reply
  8. Hazard says

    01/01/2011 at 14:01

    Great site, figured out a few new things! Subscribed RSS for later, hope to see more updates like this one.

    Reply
  9. Polskie Kasyno says

    02/01/2011 at 13:48

    Your blog provides a fresh look at the subject. Great job mate!

    Reply
  10. p³aszcze says

    02/01/2011 at 17:47

    The most comprehensive and very well thought out write up I have found on this subject on the net. Keep on writing, I will keep on coming by to read your new content. This is my fourth time coming by your blog.

    Reply
  11. Caroline says

    03/01/2011 at 19:19

    Hi Izola,
    You are very welcome to use me as a source as long as you put a link in to my blog and credit me.
    Thanks,
    Caroline

    Reply
  12. James Bridging says

    06/01/2011 at 02:08

    Hello could I quote some of the material here in this blog if I reference you with a link back to your site?

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      06/01/2011 at 09:07

      Yes please, as long as you credit me and provide a link. Thanks.

      Reply
  13. Caroline says

    26/01/2011 at 08:26

    Hi, I write all my own stuff so you can be confident that I’m the originator of all my blogs.

    Reply
  14. Caroline says

    30/03/2011 at 18:40

    I don’t know of any specific discussion fora – why don’t you do a search?

    Reply
  15. quality digitizing says

    05/05/2011 at 07:50

    Keep posting stuff like this i really like it.Thumbs up, and keep it going!Now lets see if I can do something productive with it.I am definitely bookmarking this page and sharing it with my friends.Finally, a good site that isn’t in my face trying to constantly sell me something.Just want to say what a great blog you got here! Thanks, please keep up the good work.

    Reply
  16. Tv through internet says

    07/05/2011 at 02:56

    A thoughtful insight and ideas.. I will use it on my blog. You’ve obviously spent a lot of time on this. Congratulations!

    Reply
  17. Marian McNamee says

    03/04/2015 at 18:15

    Thanks for posting – I would love to buy Anna Sheppard’s material. Is it possible?

    Reply
    • Caroline says

      23/04/2015 at 07:57

      I’ve no idea as don’t know what she’s doing now. Anyone else able to help?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

four × one =

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Footer

Follow me on social media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search my site

Find me on the following platforms

  • Saatchiart
  • Caiger Art
  • BobCat Gallery

Sign up for regular news updates and my monthly selection of art events



Copyright Caroline Banks © 2025 · Privacy Policy

  • About
  • Gallery
  • Workshops & Groups
  • Commissions
  • Blog
  • Contact