2027: SHELLEY RHODES

***Note: exact dates may shift by a day or two depending upon flight schedules***

COURSE OVERVIEW

During this week you will take inspiration from Kantha making but will move beyond traditional ways of working, pushing boundaries and taking the ‘what if’ approach to create exciting, innovative mixed-media work. 

As with Kantha, there will be an emphasis on layering fine pre-used fabrics, joined with simple running stitch. However, this is an experimental workshop and you will be encouraged to exaggerate and distort stitches, swap fine thread for paper yarn, wire, pins, staples, fishing line, or anything else you can think of.

Small objects gathered on location may be embedded, trapped, or encased within stitched pieces, helping you to capture the essence of your French surroundings. These may include fragments of lace, textiles, ephemera, or paper found at the local brocante, or perhaps incorporating small found natural or man-made objects collected around Studio Preniac or while visiting nearby market towns.

Methods of alteration, manipulation and repair will be introduced and simple printing techniques will be demonstrated on paper and cloth. The prints can become part of your experimental samples or the samples may create the print. Samples may be chopped up, rotated, extended, or joined together. Any sample can be reworked, altered, and transformed. Tiny scraps and offcuts may develop into a miniature series. The possibilities are endless and exciting!

As the week progresses you may work towards a series, triptych or one large piece to create your own personal outcomes in a contemporary way based on the essence of traditional Kantha making.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE BOOKING FORM

(For pricing, please see below)

BIOGRAPHY

Shelley works from her studio on the border of Cumbria and Lancashire in the UK. She observes and records the everyday things she encounters. Through her daily art practice, she creates mixed-media ‘visual diaries’.

Much of her work involves fragmentation followed by reconstruction and repair. Techniques are inspired by Kantha making and Japanese Boro by layering scraps of worn, pre-used fabrics and paper to create a new whole. Small pieces are layered, patched, bundled or stacked before being ‘repaired’ using stitch, nails, pins, staples, fishing line or wire. She is interested in presentation and her training as a graphic designer often emerges in the form of order, layout and grids.

She teaches nationally and internationally through in-person and online courses and is a member of the Textile Study Group. She is the author of ‘Sketchbook Explorations’ and ‘Fragmentation and Repair’ published by Batsford.

Website: www.shelleyrhodes.co.uk

Daily Art Posts: www.instagram.com/shelleyrhodesartist

www.facebook.com/shelleyrhodesmixedmediaartist

PRICING

Prices per person for 2027 are as follows:

The cost of our creativity holidays is inclusive of the following:

• Course fees and basic materials
  (except for any course specific materials that the tutor requests you bring with you)
• Airport collection and drop-off
  (allotted airports and times only)
• Accommodation
  (price varies by type of accommodation selected - we assume single occupancy by default unless you specifically request to share with a friend/partner)
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner
  (one meal taken at a local restaurant - to be paid by guests at the time)
• Tea and coffee throughout your stay 
• Aperitif and wine/beer with evening meal
• Transport to and from any excursions
• Bed linen and towels
• Access to all amenities throughout your stay
• Local tourist taxes

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE BOOKING FORM