AN award-winning artist who rummages through charity shops for inspiration is taking her work on an international tour.
Sally Wilson, of Holmfirth, made a name for herself by using vintage fabrics combined with welded metal structures to create sculptures.
The fine artist Holmfirth has won awards in the past for her creations.
And now, after showing her work at Alexandra Palace in London last weekend, it will be viewed in galleries from Paris to Austria.
For Sally, 42, a former lecturer at Huddersfield New College, it is a dream come true.
A few years ago she suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to give up teaching. She also lost her father, which set her on her mission to buy materials from local charity shops to support various worthy causes.
She said: “I’ve been teaching art for more than 15 years so art has always been my life.
“I spend a fortune in charity shops looking for the right materials and patterns that will work with my designs, but they’re great places for materials.
“I’m inspired by nature – animals and the environment.
“Living in Holmfirth, the surrounding areas are perfect to get inspired.”
Last weekend Sally exhibited at Alexandra Palace in London at the prestigious PFAFF Art Embroidery Challenge at the Knitting and Stitching show.
The exhibition will move on to Paris, Spain and Austria over the coming months.
“I am very excited and privileged to be selected to display my work alongside internationally renowned textile artists such as Jan Beaney, Jean Littlejohn and Alice Kettle,” Sally added.
“I have developed my work intensively over the last four years and feel that this is a fantastic opportunity to display the results to a wider audience.
“It’s a full time job for me now and I love it.
“Art has been my life – I live for it.
“I had a traumatic brain injury a few years ago.
“I’d been teaching at Huddersfield New College and was the leader of art there for 14 years, but I always worked on my own art alongside teaching.
“When I had the accident it became my life and I do what I can.”
Four years ago Sally started using vintage and recycled fabrics combined with welded metal structures to create visually stunning sculptural pieces incorporating everything from machine embroidery, hand stitching, printed image maker techniques, appliqué and felt making.
In 2008, Sally won the machine embroidery category of the Madeira/Stitch Magazine Competition which toured the UK.
Her work is on show at the Pyramid Gallery in York, among many others, while she also creates everything from greetings cards to key rings – all created from both vintage and recycled materials – which means every design is individual.
Visit www.sallywilson.co.uk for more information.
