CQ West: Unfolding Stories 3

LIZ HEWITT
www.celticstitch.co.uk
I am an established artist who has
exhibited throughout the UK, for the last
twenty years as both a solo artist and as a
member of several groups.
My creative journey began at an early age
and I have been stitching in one form or
another ever since.
Since being diagnosed with Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome, working with cloth has
become an essential part of my life. When
cloth is stitched and embellished it
embodies my thoughts and emotions, and
becomes part of my healing process. Cloth
is the silent companion of us all; used to
protect, comfort and decorate.
I am inspired by the relationship between
trees and humanity in particular the
ancient Celtic belief that man must live in
harmony with nature. A special interest is
how trees can soothe, inspire and sustain
us, both physically and spiritually.
My recent work uses eco-printing with
windfall leaves and eco-friendly natural
dyeing techniques to imprint cloth. Each
piece reveals the beauty of real leaves
and the dyes bound within those plants.
I am also currently looking at ways of
recording how our industrial past has
marked the landscape. I use tea or saltwater
to stain West African strip cloth,
worn but loved old fabrics and papers with
rusty items collected as I walk the
landscape of Devon & Cornwall. These
fabrics are then layered and stitched to
create maps of marks, documenting the
effects the tin mining industry has had on
the landscape and its people.
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Instagram: Stitchliz