Sarah is a contemporary textile artist with a passion for feltmaking that originates from her love of sheep. Her earliest memories are of collecting pieces of wool caught on fences and twisting them into long threads. Sheep, wool and farming are in her blood, her DNA.
Sarah’s work reflects a deep, almost primeval desire to connect with the land, exploring layers, fluidity and hidden streams of energy deep within the earth, alongside the importance of sustainability and longevity of the landscape on which we live.
Using both traditional and innovative techniques she aims to show the diversity and qualities of feltmaking, eager to push the boundaries of the technique. She is passionate about using British Wool, which lends itself to a variety of disciplines within the textile world, working with local and sustainable fleeces where possible.
Felt is an ancient art for modern day living, felt making is a passion, her life and in her soul. Sarah’s work is not only functional but has colour, texture and tactile qualities, impressive in its sheer scale, she creates momentous wallhangings, installations and artworks.
Sarah has been looking at the history of British rural land by drawing and researching standing stones, the ancient markers of the countryside. This culminated in 2017 in her exhibition ‘Stone’ that toured across the UK and Canada; part of the Richard Demarco Archive’s ‘Homage to Joseph Beuys’, a two-person exhibition in the Demarco Wing of Summerhall Art Centre, Edinburgh, in 2018 and in Dunoon Burgh Hall in 2019; and in 2025 a site responsive exhibition ‘Reflections from the Land’, a collaboration with four artists .
2022
2021
2021
Highlights
Residencies & Awards
2019 Juried full Member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen
2016 Craft & Design magazine selected maker 2016 finalist: Textiles & Needlecrafts
2016 Salisbury Contemporary Craft and Heritage Festival ‘Best Local Maker’ Award
1992 Runner Up – Daily Mail Young Countrywoman of the Year
1988 NatWest and NFU Venture Cash winner – £1000 research project into fine wool production culminating with a speech in front of 500VIPS and HRH Princess Royal at the NatWest tower in London
1988 Winner – Graduate Enterprise Program, Bristol
Selected Exhibition
2025 Reflections from the Land – Selected for a collaborative exhibition at Spudworks, Sway, Hampshire
2023 Selected for a solo exhibition at the World of Threads Festival Toronto, Canada
2023 ‘Illuminate’ Group touring exhibition with Art Textiles Made in Britain London and Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Shows
2023 Felt artwork included as a part of Decorex, Europe’s largest design show, Olympia, London
2022 Selected for 12th “From Lausanne to Beijing” International Fiber Art Biennial with Yunnan Minzu University and Yunnan Provincial Museum.
2022 ‘Above:Below’ Solo exhibition, Farfield Mill, Sedbergh, Cumbria
2022 ‘Found’ ATMB, Group exhibition, Ilminster Art Gallery, Somerset
2021 ‘Found’ ATMB, Queen Street Gallery, Neath
2021 ‘Found’ Group exhibition, festival of Quilts, NEC, Birmingham with ArtTextiles:MadeInBritain (ATMB)
2021 ‘Excellence’, Oxmarket Gallery, Chichester. Selected for Society of Designer Craftsmen group exhibition. Joint curator.
2021 Selected for ‘Flux Review’ online exhibition
2021 Selected work for Boomer Gallery, London (online and book publication)
2021 ‘Reconnect’ International Feltmakers Association online
2021 Above:Below Solo exhibition, Farfield Mill, Sedbergh, Cumbria (postponed until Sept 2022)
2020 Online virtual selected exhibitions: ‘Kaleidoscope’, International Feltmakers Association. ‘The Big Pause’, Artful Collective. ‘<<Strategy: Get Arts>> 50th Anniversary Demarco Archive.
2019 ‘Between Warp & Weft ll ‘– Solo Show, Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham, Hampshire
2019 ‘Between Warp & Weft’ – Solo Show, New Forest Arts Centre, New Milton, Hampshire
2019 ‘Demarco in Dunoon: Homage to Beuys in the Celtic World of Dunoon’ – Joint exhibition with Andrew Marr, Terry Ann Newman and the
Demarco Archive, Dunoon Burgh Hall, Scotland
2019 ‘Venus in the Landscape’- Salisbury Arts Centre
2018 World Festival of Threads, Solo Gallery (selected), Toronto, Canada
2018 ‘Homage to Beuys’ – Joint exhibition with Terry Ann Newman, Demarco Archive, Summerhall Art Centre, Edinburgh
2017 ‘Stone’ -Twisted Thread’s Knitting & Stitching Solo Show (London, Dublin and Harrogate)
2017 ‘Under the Microscope’-Joint exhibition with artist Helen Sill, Rum’s Eg Gallery, Romsey
2016 ‘From the Earth Textiles’ Exhibition, (selected), Mardley Gallery, Datchworth, Hertfordshire
2016 ‘Lithic’ alongside artist Peter Jackman, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey
2016 MADEBrighton, Brighton
2016 Contemporary Textiles Exhibition, New Ashgate Gallery, Surrey
2016 ‘Stitched’ – Joint exhibition, Romsey Abbey, Hants
2015 ‘25x25x25’ (selected) Society of Designer Craftsmen, Mall Galleries, London
2015 Flitti ‘Black & White’ (selected) Finnish Felt Association, Jamsa, Finland
2014 10 out of 6, Degree Show, Desborough College, Eastleigh
Publications & Press
2022 ‘From Fleece to Felt’ – Felt Matters magazine, International Feltmakers Association
2021 British Fibre Art Magazine – 2 articles
2019 SEWembroiderers guild -featured article
2018 FiberArtsNow, US – (Summer edition)- selected and featured felt artist
2018 Grima-Danish International Felt Magazine
2017 ‘ Stone’ -Felt Matter magazine, International Feltmakers Association
2016 Worldwide Colours of Felt by Ellen Bakker – work included
2016 Felt Collars –Workshop on the Web
2015 Who and I? – Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine
2014 Indigo Dyeing -Felt Matters, International Feltmakers Magazine
2022 We Are, Royal Photographic Society – Women in Photography Magazine
2021 The Wick
2021 Arterritory
2020 House of Bandits Press included Vogue, Love Magazine, Evening Standard
2020 Mission Magazine, NY
2020 Wallpaper Magazine
2020 Elephant Magazine
2020 ShowStudio
2019 Uncertain States, We are #30
2018 Sculporvox Volumne 2
2018 Report, Kultur Kontakt Austria
2017 Screen Shot Magazine Issue 02