Jude Shore
Do you concentrate on one medium, or do you work in several
I describe myself as a textile artist and felt maker although I do work with several mediums alongside my textile art. I trained in interior design and dabbled in stained glass making and floristry. After taking a ‘gap year’ in my 40’s, I began studying design for craft alongside embroidery. This relit the fire I had always had for making and learning to understand the different elements of the design process changed the way I now approach my art. I discovered the art of felt making during my studies when I decided I wanted to make all the surfaces I intended to stitch into; this has led to a love of 3D textiles and I enjoy challenging myself to push the boundaries of what I can achieve with fibre and thread. I am always open to ideas and see potential in the mundane either as something that provides a source of inspiration or something that can be included in my work. For this exhibition I am excited to working alongside the very talented Sharon O’Connell. Our exhibition will probably include textiles, paper, paint, alongside a multitude of ephemera that seems appropriate to our theme; it’s exciting to have the opportunity to approach this exhibition spontaneously so, whilst I am thinking about it, our design process will not actually start until we sit down together in our workspace at TDM at the beginning of January.
Tell me about your workspace.
My workspace is a lovely cosy room in my cottage, from which I can enjoy glorious views across to Lindop Woods on the Chatsworth Estate. When my workroom is tidy it’s a lovely space to work in however it soon becomes a bit too cluttered to work comfortably, particularly when I’m on a deadline, and I soon start to spread things out onto the kitchen table…, then I take over the spare bedroom and eventually every other bit of the house that has space.
I have a shed to store display equipment plus an abundance found objects discovered on walks through the Peaks, or by the sea, or in the garden and even an amazing wasp nest found in the loft! It’s a treasure trove!
My dream working environment would be a space in my garden which would be large enough to be able to make without needing to put everything away after each step of my process. I would be inspired by the glorious views that surround my home whilst listening to the birds singing. I like the idea of converting an old disused railway carriage into a functioning studio, each compartment would be a dedicated area so I could paint, print, stitch and exhibit my work. One compartment would be decorated completely in Tunnocks Teacake wrappers in homage to the best biscuit on the planet with the most iconic packaging.
What inspires you?
Much of my inspiration comes from the natural world. Living in the Peak District is a wonderful environment to find inspiration, I love the hills, edges, the ever-changing light and colours of the sky which is reflected in the landscape. The views constantly change with the weather, the seasons and the time of day.. there is an abundance of flora and fauna and I will never tire of feeling lucky to live where I live.
I am also drawn to the sea and the coast, the colours and noise of the sea and the big skies. I can’t resist a pebble beach, its hard to walk along a beach and not pick up a pebble to put in my pocket. I am a collector of stuff so a coastal walk is a cornucopia of delight and my pockets are never big enough to carry away my treasures.
That said, I find inspiration everywhere from amazing architecture, a reflection in a puddle, a piece of artwork, the smell of burnt wood, a vat of boiling jam, the pattern on a manhole cover or grid, peeling paint, an old gate or any kind of decay. Its all beautiful.
My phone has become a way of recording what I see although with over 15000 images it’s not always easy to find the images I’m looking for. At the start of any project I will start a Pinterest board, I do love Pinterest however it can soon become a distraction particularly if I’m struggling with my creative process or not particularly enjoying a theme I have to work with. I like to make sketchbooks to work alongside my projects, I think I enjoy this part of the process the most when it comes to generating ideas. I have to be strict with myself, I do procrastinate and often leave myself very little time to complete a project. This can be a very stressful way of working but incredibly rewarding when it all comes together.
Do you have a favourite piece in your Little Gallery exhibition?
This is probably the most exciting opportunity I’ve had to just create art so the space itself will become my favourite piece as the exhibition evolves.
How did you start doing what you do?
I have always been a Creative and a Maker. As long as I can remember I have made stuff, my early childhood memories are of drawing, painting, knitting, sewing, building with Lego, making patterns and baking. It was instilled in me that if a job was worth doing it was worth doing to the best of my ability and that is still the way I approach everything I do. After leaving school at 16, I had to get a ‘proper’ job and worked in finance for a number of years until I had my children and embarked on a wonderful 15 year stint as a full time Mum and Homemaker. My creative energies were used to fill the house with glitter and encourage my kids to enjoy being makers themselves. I returned to the world of proper work and, whilst I enjoyed the work I was doing, I felt stifled being sat behind a desk and I began to look for more creative outlets.
The main turning point for me came after a number of traumatic events when I was encouraged to take a year away from work, to have some time to be kind to myself and reevaluate the things that were important to us as a family. I embarked on studying design and embroidery along with as many different creative textile techniques and processes I could find. This led to being given opportunities to exhibit and sell my work, and then to share my passion and enthusiasm teaching City and Guilds textile and design courses. Stepping out of the world of earning a regular income was life changing in a very positive way.
Do you work on your creative business full time, or do you have another job as well?
My creative business is a full time endeavour. I like that it doesn’t need to be restricted by working set hours and I can work flexibly and spontaneously if the creative juices are flowing.
If you have spare time, what do you do with it
ah, spare time…. I’m not sure if I ever get much spare time. I think my work is very much a part of my life. When I am not in my workroom designing or making I am always looking, listening, seeing and storing little snippets of information that may or may not get used for some creative endeavour. We like to travel and each year embark on another leg of our ongoing Spanish road trip. I enjoy listening to all kinds of music, I especially like music that makes me want to sing or dance and just feel happy. Spending time with family and friends is massively important, it’s a joy to see the world through the eyes of my 3 grandsons, there’s nothing nicer than catching up with friends especially when it involves food and wine!
What’s next for you
So, what’s next? I’ve needed to take a break from exhibiting during the last couple of years because of health reasons but I’m hoping to have more opportunities to exhibit my work throughout the year at various art events.
I have work going into a couple of group exhibitions in the next few months. I belong to a textile exhibiting group called Eco-Stitchers, we are 5 artists who make work in response to issues around climate change and we will be exhibiting our latest body of work during Derbyshire Open Arts at the end of May in the Cavendish Village Hall, Beeley.
I want to continue learning, I will never be too old to discover something new and I’m excited about what I’m going to discover about myself during the process of putting this exhibition together.
And, last but not least, I will be working hard behind the scenes, with Sharon, to help all The Derbyshire Makers with their continued success. As well as having an amazing place to showcase some of my own makes alongside those of some of our very talented Makers. It’s going to be a busy 12 months.
