Joan McQuillan

My inspiration this week comes from the work of

textiles artist Joan McQuillan, who lives in Reading

and took part in the Whiteknights Arts Trail  a couple

of weeks ago, which I visited.

I really loved Joan's piece, Gone for a Swim , 

and am happy to say that I bought it and know that

I will treasure it and be constantly inspired by it.

You can find out more about Joan in the Diversity 

website,a textiles group she belongs to.

Joan is like me a "Windsor Girl", that is to say she studied for

her City and Guilds in Creative Embroidery at Windsor College, 

but some years before me, and to a higher level.

I met Joan on a train last year returning to 

Reading after my friend and I had been to an art exhibition,

and Joan and her friend had been to a textiles

exhibition. I couldn't help tuning in to their conversation,

as kept hearing enticing City and Guilds words! It's

always good to meet like minded people, and I like the

coincidence of sitting next to each other on a train.

Gone For a Swim is a stitched textile piece inspired by

St Ives.

I am going to put the picture up in my studio as a reminder

to keep working hard on techniques and always aspire to

 greater things.

Gone for a Swim by Joan McQuillan

Detail of Gone for a Swim by Joan McQuillan