Karen Herrick, Harlequin Arts
Do you concentrate on one medium, or do you work in several?
After years of working in pencil or watercolour, I discovered the versatility of textiles after taking a City & Guilds Course in Creative Textiles around 30 years ago & haven’t really looked back since! I like the choice of colour, texture and variety of fabrics available, and the feel of the fabric and thread in my hands when I work. I find sanctuary in stitch, and find that hand stitch, in particular, can soothe, distract and calm a fractious soul- despite the time that it takes to create a piece!
Tell us about your workspace.
I’m very fortunate to actually work in my dream space, as I have a purpose-built studio at the end of our garden. After around ten years of renting a studio that was cold and damp, I decided to risk losing precious garden space to build a wooden studio. I love working in there, but I guess if I could change anything it would be to make it slightly larger- and magically tidy all the time!
What inspires you?
Inspired by faith, beauty in the ordinary and the power of nature to restore the soul, my work is a celebration of story; each colour and stitch part of a narrative that is told through textiles. Much of my work explores and celebrates a journey of faith and learning, where the everyday understanding of my own story is enhanced by the interconnectedness of documented or inherited accounts of others. I use hand & machine stitch, reflectively, incorporating layers of fabric, fabric paper and found objects relevant to the piece.
Do you have a favourite piece in your Little Gallery exhibition?
I’m not sure I have a current favourite piece. I do like creating work in a series to keep me on track and cut down decision making & dithering. The herb series came about after admiring the flowers of some herbs I had grown that had gone to seed last year. I started researching the medicinal use of herbs and their perceived meanings and saw the potential of creating a series of work celebrating the humble herb. The series is smaller than I usually work in, but the size allowed me to complete the series quicker and keep the stitching manageable alongside other project commitments.
How did you start doing what you do?
I have always been creative, drawn, as a child to making things from cardboard, glue & glitter on rainy days at the kitchen table, creating from mum’s button box and left over scraps of fabric & wool. After leaving school, the only thing I wanted to do was go to art college. However, with no real plan afterwards, and not fitting into a specific artistic discipline, I continued to train as a primary teacher with art as my specialist subject. It wasn’t until years later, looking for creative expression when my children were young, that I discovered Creative Textiles through City & Guilds. It was this that lit the passion in my soul to pursue this as a fulltime career
Do you work on your creative business full time, or do you have another job as well?
Initially juggling teaching with freelancing, I now work full-time as a textile artist and sole trader. I have been doing this for almost 18 years, delivering arts for wellbeing sessions in a variety of settings from hospitals to care homes, schools, adult learning, women’s shelters, dementia, community & mental health groups, as well as training others to deliver creatively in their settings. Alongside this, I continue to create and develop my own work, develop creative resources and sell at conferences, exhibitions and online.
If you have spare time, what do you do with it?
To be honest, there isn’t a lot of free time in my life! I love what I do, stitching stories, writing, making, enabling others to be creative…. but when the opportunity arises, I enjoy being beside the sea, walking, swimming, visiting galleries, theatre, cinema, and most days, can always be found with my head in a good book in the evening! Oh, and coffee and cake with friends or family is always a good pick me up! It’s savouring the small, simpler things in life that inspire me to create and celebrate them in my art…
What’s next for you?
The last couple of years have been incredibly busy, so the plan for later this year, is to take time out to take stock of what to creatively continue and what to let go. I’m hoping that will mean more studio & making time….
