A week of Serendipity has bought considerable hope.

My isolation as an artist can be hard to bear.

I was aware of Diana Springall’s exhibition “What is Stitch” at the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery as I live in Sunbury. This week I went for a quick look and was delighted by the cross section of embroideries from Diana’s collection. It was a mini history of Contemporary english embroidery, and with her talk reminded me of my heroines in embroidery. And how with there influence I have continued to embroider over 44years. It also reminded me how I missed out on the delights of Goldsmiths College on the journey and seeing the heroines in action because the courses I had tried for had closed by the time I had sufficient qualifications to attend them.

My hope came from an unexpected source. Diana in her research had visited the embroiderers to learn of there processes and commented on them still creating work at 80 and 90 years old.

At 60 I could have a potential 20 to 30 years to create. how exciting.

The vagaries and politic and sexism around the ART of embroidery was discussed. With 6 embroideries in the Royal Academy Summer show this year I felt a resurgence of hope. I had submitted three years ago and been rejected but it seems there is space to try again!

Getting embroidery on parity with art seems more and more urgent.

Diana seems to be interested in moving this forward which is inspiring to see and I hope I can be involved in these developments.

Then yesterday I visited the Embroiders Guild Exhibition at The Bucks Museum in Aylesbury. Some things are slow to change. Apart from my work in Tate Modern in a Guerilla Exhibition I have exhibited in museums and libraries and churches.

The cross section of modern embroidery there bought some nostalgic reminders as well.

Bucks County Museum – The Beautiful stitch till 28th October

Orphelia Constance Howard 1960

The Blue Bird Elizabeth Grace Tomson 1931