Description

A detailed, more focussed and longer day to develop your practice with embroidery on paper with artist Jessa Fairbrother, at her studio in Bristol.

The purpose is to take a deep-dive into your own work and see how to bring in using thread in conjunction with the photographic image.

There are basics Jessa will go over – how to start / finish with embroidery thread on work and stitches you might not have thought of.

But the main purpose of the day is to concentrate on your own work and see what are the creative possibilities of expanding your practice. This is a concentrated day, aimed at artist experimentation. There are more likely to be other artists in the building on a Monday, and it is more likely to be busy with activity.

As this is a Monday there are fewer cafes open that day on Stokes Croft. Its a good idea to bring a packed lunch or be happy to pop out and get something from the supermarket – it’s that kind of a vibe on a Monday! Also, it’s a more focussed experience for a maximum of two people.

About me

I have been sewing all my life and began to stitch into the photographic image over ten years ago with a body of work Conversations with my mother. This led me to developing a method for using the needle and thread on the image to make very specific embroidered work. I am currently studying Historical Hand embroidery at the Royal School of Needlework and incorporate some of these techniques in my newer works.

Important Information.

Access 

My studio is on the second floor of an old building and there is no lift. There are four sets of stairs.

What you should bring:

Copies of one or two of your own photographs so I can advise you on what would be the most satisfying thing to try out first. Photographs of any sort are fine, but it is easiest to practice on machine-printed C-types rather than inkjet. Black and white photographs are also great – if you have a resin coated paper this is the easiest to work with.  It is a good idea to keep the photograph smaller than 10 x 8 inches. Larger than that is difficult to handle. Then bring also what it is that you want to concentrate on. So you can really spend time with your own work.

If you have a pair of scissors you particularly like to use, bring them too.

I use DMC embroidery threads which is what I’ll be supplying for the day, but if you have a speciality thread you’d like to try out please do bring it along.

Glasses if you need them! This is painstaking and fiddly work. I have to wear glasses to do it. If you normally wear glasses or contact lenses you should definitely bring them.

Define ‘artist special’

You have got a practice which may or may not be around photography. You might work mainly with another medium, and that’s OK – this could still be for you. Mainly, the thing to be aware of, is this is for you do bring your own work to discuss and experiment with. Through experimentation and unravelling you will go away be able to see how you could expand it with techniques to better articulate something that you have been thinking about.

Cancellation Policy 

This workshop takes place in my small  studio at Jamaica Street in Bristol so the number of participants is capped at 2.

In the unlikely event I have to cancel the workshop you will get a refund of your workshop fee.

If you need to cancel more than 7 days before the start of the workshop you’ll get a refund minus a £20 admin charge.

If you need to cancel within 7 days prior to the start of the workshop the fee is non-refundable.

Address/Parking/Travel

The studio address is 39 Jamaica Street, Bristol, BS2 8JP.

There is no free parking but on-street paid-for parking nearby, and plenty of busses to the middle of Bristol city centre.

Temple Meads train-station is a short bus-ride away.

For any other questions not answered here please email jessa@jessafairbrother.com