Story Gathering and Image Transfer Summer School

A mixed media workshop in which we will create a collection of small artworks combined to create a scroll book, a story tin and a tiny journal that represent a story or memories. Techniques include collage, image transfers, monoprinting, mark-making and stitching.

You will be guided to create a base scroll using many layers of lightweight and fragile papers and silk; each layer representing a part of your story...the many moments that build a life. Using stitch, collage and a variety of image transfer and textile techniques you will embellish the scroll, adding images, motifs, natural elements and words that represent your story to create a many layered, exquisite, story scroll.

Narrate your story through written fragments...partly obscured in the layers, and encased in a tiny journal in a story tin, held safely within your scroll. Encasing your scroll, story tin and journal, is a beautiful altered book cover, made using your fragments, and keeping your story safe and treasured.

The tutor will generously share her personal practice and techniques, learnt over many years as a textile and collage artist, to enable you to tell your own unique story in this beautiful way.

An incredible workshop for anyone with a story they have always wanted to tell and artists who work with found ephemera, papers and layered imagery. A magical week of discovery and sharing.

Course Structure

• Explore the use of old photographs and ephemera as a means of storytelling through art; I will share examples from my artworks.
• Create a base scroll using layers of lightweight papers and silk.
• Decorate paper and fabric fragments using stamps and stencils
• Transfer photographic images using a variety of image transfer techniques
• Create monoprints using plants and a gelli plate
• Simple mark making
• Attach the images, prints and fragments to the base scroll and embellish with stitches
• Add words using printing blocks and stitch
• Create a mini journal to narrate your story or record memories
• Decorate a tin to hold the mini journal
• Alter an old book to create a cover that holds the tin and scroll
• ‘Show and Tell’ to share your creations with other participants

About the Tutor

I am a textile, collage, assemblage and book artist and I work mainly with found objects, old papers and photographs. I’m never happier than when I’m wandering around a flea market, picking up bits of ephemera and working out how to use them in my art.

My passion is in creating stories from old photographs and papers, often combining them with household or natural objects to create very personal artworks. In 2021, I co-wrote ‘Artful Memories; how to make unique art with old photographs'.

My courses are about sharing techniques and structures for students to explore their own stories, true or imagined, through the use of found materials and photographs.