As a textile artist I am passionate about colour, texture and stitching. I aspire to create original, emotive and quality textile art works. Fascinated by people, places and history of art I research my subject thoroughly to gain a deep understanding of how best to express my intention. I invite the viewer to see the potential of textile and thread and to create awareness in this medium.
Sarah was born in Whitby, England, and lived in a nearby village for the first 11 years of her life. With her family she emigrated to New Zealand where she spent the next 9 years before returning to England and France for the next 4 years. She came to Canada in 1988 and has been here ever since.
Textiles have always been a fascination in her life. As a child Sarah would visit the woollen mill in Bradford, a multi-generational family business run by her grandfather William Laycock. She was captivated by the looms and the intricacy of patterning on fabric, colour combinations and the textural components of cloth. As a teenager she made her own clothes and costumes on a very old Singer machine. She made patchwork quilts, embroidered, reconstructed and deconstructed anything in textile.
In adult life, Sarah’s approach to creating textile art has been significantly influenced by her 30-year background as a registered nurse. She adopts a methodical and meticulous approach. Each of her art works reflects careful planning of pattern design, colour choice, copious notes and research into construction techniques. These, combined with artistic intuition, guide her work to completion.
In 2014 she completed a Textile Certificate from the Victoria College of Art. She has entered in a number of exhibitions, local and international, as well as juried shows where she received a number of 1st and other ribbons. Recognized in British Columbia for her art quilts she was also a finalist at the 2010 International Quilt Show in Houston. She belongs to the Surface Design Association of Vancouver Island, The Studio Art Quilt Association in USA and the ArtSea Council in Sidney BC.
Sarah continues to pursue her artistic journey with passion and continues to attend many textile and paint workshops to learn and explore different avenues of artistic expression.