Constanze Creations
If you've been following our YouTube channel you will know Fran loves to weave onboard Constanze, Fran says ....
'My weaving is best when it comes from my heart. Too much thinking and planning do not produce best results for me. I take my inspiration from the environment about me and for this reason I find it difficult to take on commissions.
We are fortunate on the canal to be surrounded by beautiful sights and sounds of the nature around us, and this is often the inspiration for my weaving. The process of weaving is more an art form than a craft and I use whichever colours, fibres and textures seem right for the piece being woven.
A scarf generally takes me about 10 -15 hours to weave, then has to be washed and finished which takes almost another day. The weaving is a very free, gentle process which can be calming, relaxing and uplifting.
I prefer to use natural fibres for my weaving but sometimes I get carried away and need to add some exciting sparkly shiny fibres which tend to be synthetic. Until now many of the yarns I have used have been upcycled, recycled or sourced from charity shops and the only yarns I buy new are natural fibres and sourced locally when possible.
The finished scarves are washed in natural soap flakes and no chemicals or detergents are used. Finally the items are wrapped in tissue paper and lovingly sent out in plastic free packaging'. More about 'Saori' weaving.
Richy's Art
Having spent decades in a creative 'no-man's land' Rich has picked up his paints and brushes and has started to work again. He says.....
'I find the creative process sometimes frustrating - especially on a narrowboat - and rarely finish a piece I'm happy with, and so, very few of my works will find it to the shop for sale.
I'm really interested in the abstract and have been working on developing my own style in acrylic paints and watercolours. I also have an interest in printing and intend to work more and discover techniques such as collograph'.