Jane Charles Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

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I am a full time artist mainly working in textiles. I have a degree in Fashion & Textiles from Leicester Polytechnic, but have been working in 'creative textiles' for over 15 years. I have experience of working in the community and in schools, creating large textile installations. I also exhibit my work in various exhibitions and Open Studios. I sell my smaller works at fairs and in galleries.

I am a textile and mixed media artist with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of schools and community groups, creating large permanent pieces of work in the school or public settings. Depending upon the brief, I am often inspired by an historical or heritage theme and of course the natural environment. The focus of my workshops is always about the process, many of the commissions have had a specific outcome, but for the people who take part it’s about the process. The participants in my workshops have always said how proud they have been to have a part in such a large art work that ordinarily they would not have had such an opportunity. In the spring of 2023 I was given the opportunity to create work for 78 Derngate, the house in Northampton that Charles Rennie Mackintosh re designed in the early 1900's. Inspired by the fabric designs by CRM and his wife Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh, I created over 30 fabric banners using batik, block printing and eco print techniques. The work was part of Northants Open Studios which took place in September that year. I have an ongoing project which started in April 2022, when I was gifted 2 suitcases of vintage clothing and linen. For me the clothing represented a woman's life, from cradle to old age and I created 5 eco printed and embroidered garments which represented a woman's life and experiences. The collection had belonged to a local woman who wrote poetry and prayers, she was well known at the time of her sad death aged 40 in 1994. I chose some of her own prayers and poetry and work and anthologies to illustrate the garments and embroideries. From the initial exhibition I have hosted workshops which to inspired other women to create and think about letters they might like to write and memories they would like to share.