Blue Mountains Artists Company: Member Profile

Gillian Hand

My journey into contemporary textile arts began with traditional patchwork and quilting. I soon identified a need to experiment and having built up a considerable portfolio of skills and experience, I began to work with the natural fibres of wool, mohair and silk. I wanted to produce a lustrous surface that also had softness and durability. I finally developed my own method of creating a unique fabric called faux-felt. This is used to create wall pieces, art-to-wear and soft furnishings. My latest development is called Threads of Life. This involves the use of faux-felt, fabric collage and complex surface treatment to produce visual stories in personalised stitched textiles.

I have won several awards for faux-felt artwork and also teach classes and workshops in this technique.