Looping

I've wanted to have a go at creating a looped net for a long while. I tried about 18 months ago but found it very tricky with the thread that I was using and it ended up as a bit of a knotty mess. 

Materials

For this net I used a couple of flexible twigs to create the frame and unravelled rope gathered from the Anglesey coastline. The rope threads are a bit stiffer than sewing thread which worked well to create the structure of the net and keep it in place as I worked. It is, however, a lit bit too stiff and didn’t flow that easily when pulling it through the loops. 

I’m quite pleased with the result of this attempt and enjoy the tied knots of thread poking up. This is a something I’d like to explore further as a potential method of constructing my 3D sculpture and assemblage pieces.

Try it yourself

I was given the book, Finding Form With Fibre for Christmas a few years ago which sparked my interest. There are all kinds of methods of working with various fibres from fourteen different artists, described as an exploration of modern basketry. I referred to the well-illustrated visual guide in the book to make this looped net. If you are interested in working with fibres and making ethical and sustainable art it is a great place to start.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opening of my first solo show - Reshaping The Past at Lidgett Lane Larder in Leeds in early August. I was delighted to sell several wall sculptures and have the opportunity to share some of the stories and creative processes behind them. 

Reshaping The Past

"Jane’s work has such a sensitive and thoughtful quality, transforming found objects into something full of memory and meaning. The pieces felt both fragile and resilient, quietly holding stories of grief, connection and renewal."

Courtney Spencer - Artist and Curator

Exhibition continues until 2nd November.

Lidgett Lane Larder

Roundhay

LS8 1QR

All work for sale.

I was thrilled to be invited to show 'Thoughts from nowhere' in this group exhibition by artist and curator, Alison Aye.

Airing:

1. An exposure of linens to fresh air

2. A public expression of an opinion.

A group exhibition which invites viewers to engage with thread as both medium and metaphor. Revealing stories, textures, and tensions within the delicate, yet resilient, fibres of artistic practice.

Participating Artists

Alison Aye, Georgie Bates, Marcia Bennett-Male, Rihanata Bigey, Sarah Coviello, Tina Crawford, Helen Davies, Fiona Hingston, Emily Jo Gibbs, Woo Jin Joo, S. Kelly, Claire Mort, Sumi Perera, Radical Embroiderer, S. Riley, Sally Spinks, Sato Sugamoto, Annie Taylor, Wolfgang Woerner, Messua Wolff, Jane Wood

5 - 26 July 2025. Tension Gallery, 135 Maple Road, London SE20 8LP

I am delighted to have been selected to show ‘Porth Cwyfan map’ and ‘Delineation line’ as part of this show.

Established in 2015, the Leeds Summer Group Show is an annual exhibition celebrating visual arts talent from across the UK. The exhibition is open from 3–23 July at Leeds Playhouse in the city centre.

Porth Cwyfan map

The objects were gathered from Porth Cwyfan, Aberffraw in Anglesey, North Wales. It’s a rugged bay looking out onto the 12th-century St. Cwyfan’s Church that sits on a small island accessible by causeway at low tide.

Latitude/Longitude: 53.186404, -4.488518

Process

The components for the piece, when laid out, represented weathered items, artefacts with evident traces of the past but no discernable meaning. During the construction process to find balance in the composition, they appeared to create a unique but unfathomable map, a guide with no way finding markers or territorial boundaries but possessing an obvious history. The orange weaved wood a signifier defining a point of departure to an unplanned journey.

Materials

Beach towel label, paper, plastic, seaweed, unravelled synthetic rope and wood mounted on MDF.

Dimensions: 21 cm x 29.7 cm

In early June I moved out of the loft at home into one of the new spaces at Red Lane Mill studios at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, Leeds.

"Sunny Bank Mills offer beautifully restored creative business spaces for both small and large organisations. Sunny Bank Mills Gallery is the epicentre of our arts programme, spanning exhibitions, workshops, studio spaces and events, and the Sunny Bank Mills Museum & Archive protects and promotes the history of the mill and the community."

Red Lane Mill is a large, airy space with a lot of history to share in the fabric of the building. Alan who was the owner of Gallagher and Bell a carpentry company previously based in Red Lane Mill called into see the recent transformation. He was able to identify evidence of the marks that his machinery has left behind on the floor and on the walls where he cleaned his brushes.

There are 48 artists and makers' studios spread across the historic Spinning Mill, Twisting and Red Lane Studio. I’m looking forward to getting to know the other studio holders and the wider Sunny Bank community. 

Feel free to call in and say hello If you’re making a visit.

I had a fantastic opportunity to participate in Roundhay Open Studios at St Edmunds church as a guest artist during the early May bank holiday in 2025. The chance to talk to so many visitors about my work was very insightful. 

I outlined my restrictive (and often frustrating) process using hand construction methods along with the materials I find i.e., no nails, glue, paint or screws to bring elements together or paint for that matter. When I talked about wrapping, binding, wedging, stitching, weaving and knotting people started to engage with each piece on a much deeper level connecting directly with the materials and exploring their history.

I was delighted to sell quite a few pieces and greeting cards. Some visitors kindly took the time to share their thoughts:

 “Art to sit and dream with.”

“Inspirational, wholesome and therapeutic – love this approach.”  

“Very inspiring, I'm going to get creative again.”