Linda R Walsh Art

Village Artist

On my little trip around the village gardens I had the pleasure of meeting Linda R. Walsh. She is a local textile artist who uses stitch on art, wall pieces, jewellery and apparel. Her little studio in the centre of the village was full with wonderful pieces of her work, all set in the cutest little garden.

Artist in residence - Linda R Walsh

This lovely work was influenced by her recent trip to Russia

This work was amazing
(pic did not do it justice)

To put Linda into a category is not easy. She stitches ... she embroiders ... she paints pictures with all manner of things and produces some amazing stuff.  Do look at her website ...

www.lindastitching.co.uk


I particularly like her Chinese influenced "Drum Song" series of wall hangings. They are profusely decorated with amazing embroidery, beads and tassels in the most brilliant shades of blue and coral.

"Drum Song" by Linda R. Walsh

 Drum Song - Detail

Drum Song - Detail

Further work includes the following stunning pieces ...

Tribal Wall Hangings by Linda R. Walsh

Tribal Wall Hangings - Detail

Linda's work can be seen at The Fountain Gallery in East Molesey where an exhibition of her work called Russian Treasures will take place between 28th August - 9th September. I shall look forward to this and expect to see lots more of her exquisite embroidery inspired by her recent trip to Russia.


Bio of Linda R Walsh ...

Linda was voted Runner Up for Baines Artist of the Year 2011 for her outstanding Surrey Artists Open Studio. She makes textile art pieces for the wall - both framed and free-hanging. She loves stitch and finds the movement of needle & thread through fabric an absorbing occupation. She enjoys creating rich, textured and subtly coloured surfaces using dyed fabric, paper & chiffons. Patterns, natural and manmade, and manipulated photographs printed onto fabric form the basis for many of her pieces. Her work is often themed on places visited - quick sketches & many photographs help her to build up an impression of place.

Starting from a City and Guilds Certificate in Design and Embroidery (completed 1998), Linda became a founder member of the Fountain Gallery Artists’ Association and now has over ten years of solo and joint exhibitions behind her.

Bio copied from Fountain Gallery Website.

Secret Gardens

Village Life

(Part 2)

Blogger was not too co-operative so this is part two ... hopefully the pics will now load!
More garden photos from Thames Ditton Gardens ...

Contemplation space

A Catalpa - Indian Bean Tree

Contemplation corner

Superb Acer

The cutest corner

Beautiful bed

Agapanthus

Stunning Silver Birch

Tiny space

Glorious Acer

Perfect work space

Enchanted space

Vegetable garden

I was really amazed to find such perfect little gardens all within a stones throw of my own. All hidden behind small unasuming frontages - what magic was behind the facade! What wonderful gardens ... the tea and cakes were suberb too!


All proceeds to St Nicholas Church for the installation of the new organ and also to the Keep The Heart In Our High Street Campaign.

Secret Gardens

Village Life

(Part 1)

My little village church needs a new organ. Cleverly some local ladies organised a fund raising event, which was a delight. Twelve local gardeners were persuaded to open their little London gardens for all to see, for just a small charge. There was tea and cakes too - always a tantalising draw on a sunny afternoon! These are some of the pics I took on my afternoon walk  ...

The admission ticket

The plan

A ha ha

Beautiful beds

Little water feature

A quiet corner

Tiny special garden

Lovely clematis

Roses galore

Magical spaces

Tea for two

Private walled garden

Some topiary

Sunny space

An explosion of plants

Pretty picket fencing

Acer paradise

Lovely Lupins

Trickling water feature

More topiary

Tapestry Mug Mat

My Grandson Is a Genius!

I think that I have told you before that some members of my family are very talented indeed. My grandchildren, their mother and their maternal grandmother (no not me!) are all very artistic in different ways. The children all sew and bake and do tapestry and the mother is a fabulous textile designer, knits and crochets, does cross-stitch and tapestry, paints and draws and is a renowned weaver, and the grandmother does all manner of artistic things such as paint, draw, does cross-stich and tapestry, print, knits, crochets and everything else besides.

I feel very enfeebled being part of such a family and can compete in no ways at all ...

Last week Mr Whizz Kid (he of the mid-life crisis motorbike fame) had a birthday, and the prettiest and cleverest gift came from my five year old grandson. He had designed and made a tapestry mug mat all by himself (perhaps his mother hovered in the background!) It is so very clever and will take pride of place in his home office ...

Isn't this cute?

We are a family of home made gifts (the very best kind of gift) and it is amazing just what the family come up with! Thanks A xxx Love you..

Tiny Knitted Rose

Just a little experiment ...

I saw some pretty knitted flowers on bags and hats at a recent craft fair made by Lavender Hearts and often try to replicate them. Today I found the simplest pattern to make a knitted pretty rose ... and each and every one can be totally different depending on the stitch used and the colour of the wool chosen and the tightness of the wind. They are no way as pretty as hers but I am working on that!


This is the first of many ...

A rose - finished size approx 2 inch diameter

I chose a ball of Rowan Siena 4 ply mercerised cotton

In a pretty rose red I cast on twelve stitches

Using size 3.25 UK needles

The stitch I chose to use was a knit in the back stitch
ie. Every stitch was knit into the back of each and every stitch
I like this stitch as it produced a tight smart finish

I continued until I had knit eighty-five rows and then cast off

The knitted 'ribbon' now measures approx 9 inch by 1.5 inch

Now wind and twist the ribbon pulling the two ends tightly
Ta Da! ... A rose in back stitch

Using a darning needle stitch the back tightly
Tie the two ends in a tight knot. Back view
Leaving them to sew onto your chosen project

This little flower takes under one hour to make and when several are grouped together they look very pretty.





One in garter stitch

Three very different pretty roses

A second strip in stocking stitch

Made a tighter and smaller and more sucessful rose

Different stitches produced very different results


Thank you Blogger for messing up my order of pics!!!! Agghh!!