The Material Girls

The Material Girls are a Textile Art Group based on the border of Essex/East London.  I've known about the Group since its first exhibition, during the intervening years I have gone along to their Exhibitions and watched their artwork develop.

So its was an absolute thrill for me to be asked to go along and meet everyone, and to join them.  So from June 2011 I have become a Member of The Material Girls.  The Members are:

(Founder and Mentor) Christine Spencer : Marie Payne : Jill Birleson : Margaret Lacy : Julie Chellingsworth : Miriam Weaver:  myself: Beverley Folkard: Viv Mitchell

The group has been involved from the beginnings of the renovation of a National Trust property, Rainham Hall.  Now open to the public, The Material Girls have made and shown work in response to featured residents of the Hall.  It is anticipated that this relationship will continue.

Information about events can be found on the Group's blog.

Having worked on my own, it has been asked of me, "why join a group" - well the answer is because a group setting provides a different set of challenges.  To work amongst others, to work to a group theme, to fit in with an established way of working.  Its a different set of skills and avenues to explore and develop.  Being with others does give the bonus of being able to share tasks, to share thoughts on work.  So I believe that this will provide me with personal artistic growth in another direction.


The Materials Girls
work on display in the National Trust property
Rainham Hall, Essex
Personally I will continue to have my Will piece on display
in the Hall for the foreseeable future.