Part 4 Project 2 Stage 1 Ruth Issett

Project 2

Stage one- Research six artists or designers

Ruth Issett

Ruth Issett

 http://www.studiopreniac.com/

              

I saw Ruth Isset’s work last year at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate and was totally bowled over by her use of colour and her amazing sketchbooks.  I put her most recent books on my Christmas list and Santa was kind. They have helped me enormously.

This is taken from  http://textilestudygroup.co.uk/ and gives some basic biographical details:

Ruth's work reflects her continuing passion and excitement for the use of colour. Working on both paper and fabric she uses dyeing, printing, painting collage and stitch. Her work is anchored in her observations of different environments. These are interpreted into colour studies, noting variations achieved using collective media and process.

 Since 2001 Ruth has worked in a freelance capacity, delivering courses in the U.K., Europe, U.S.A and Australia as well as focusing on developing her own work. Many years of working plus her association and connection with Viv Arthur and Kevin Mead of Art Van Go, has led to a considerable understanding of media, surfaces and textile processes. The quest to understand colour, its application to different surfaces and the ultimate visual effect has been paramount. 

After living in Kent for many years and working virtually full time in Adult Education, delivering a wide range of textile courses including City & Guilds, Ruth relocated to rural Shropshire in 2006. This gave a wonderful opportunity to re-evaluate her working life. Having achieved her own studio with print, dyeing and stitching areas, she has spent more time focusing on her own work & delivering selective teaching commitments. This opportunity to evaluate both her teaching and her working practice has been beneficial. Delivering specifically designed courses for more experienced students, as well as examining her own working practice, she finds she still has a hunger to explore, specifically colour, through various media, surface and technique. This research is enhanced by the enthusiasm to share through teaching which is both exciting and challenging, as well as demanding a self discipline and personal analysis.

Ruth has a B.A. in Fashion/ Textiles (Embroidery).

Ruth offers workshops with Bobby Britnell in Working Together as well as independently.

Nearby and Distant - Ruth Issett

http://textilestudygroup.co.uk/

Writing on her blog Judy Herwitt (http://approachable-art.blogspot.co.uk/) gives us this insight into how Isset works.  I had intended to quote extensively from the interview but I was unable to obtain permission from the author.  It is really so interesting I suggest you take a look.  It asks all the questions I might have asked myself.

The interview addresses such things as Issett’s design process (one thing leads to another) and the way a piece may develop into a series over time. Issett describes the developing  of courses an art in itself and makes samples with her teaching in mind.

And there’s a response especially for me:

Don’t run before you can walk, practice your skills/techniques, be patient and always review your work and progress hopefully with others! (Herwitt 2013)

I think this interview gives a good overview of how Issett works and it confirms how important her sketchbooks are.

Ruth Issett’s sketchbooks

Issett 2013

Bibliography

http://www.studiopreniac.com/.

 http://approachable-art.blogspot.co.uk/.

 http://textilestudygroup.co.uk.

 Issett, R., 2013  A Passion for colour. Tunbridge Wells: Search Press.