Ushma Sargeant Art
Website:
@ushma.s.art
@ushma.s.art
Avebury Wishing Trees 70x55cm Fibre
Unseen Things, 50x70cm Fibre
Take a Breather 50x70cm Fibre
Biography
When I started using fibre in my work I discovered the perfect medium with which to translate so much of the world around me. Working with fibre allows me to bring different creative elements to a project, whether exploring new ways to make marks, reflecting a more abstract view of a local scene, or creating abstract compositions inspired by words. The shapes and energy achieved with these fibres reflect the natural world in a way which is quite unique.
I continue to love exploring new techniques – creating different effects using a variety of fibres to see what they will bring to a piece always looking for the right fibre and texture for a detail and enjoying the challenge of learning new techniques.
I work towards translating feelings and emotions into my work to reflect a mood using use colour, texture and symbolism.
inspiration
My home is on the Ridgeway National Trail where Wiltshire and Oxfordshire meet, a landscape which I find constantly inspiring. I have found textile art – particularly working with fibres – best reflects the vibrant landscapes in which I live.
I am continually inspired by the changeability of the views – the way the light can change in minutes altering the view completely. The changing seasons are also fascinating, with seasonal flowering bringing dramatic colours into the landscape. In a place with such a long history, where the essence of the view has remained the same for centuries, this changeability is an intriguing contrast.
In recent years my work has been moving from representational toward abstract. While I am still inspired by nature and use it's symbolism, colours and textures, my abstract work takes inspiration from words around the subject of mental health and our changing moods through the year.
medium
When I started using fibre in my work, I discovered a medium which I could use to create movement and life more effectively than paint. When ‘painting’ landscape views in fibre – capturing the light, shadows, depth, and texture is almost done for me by the fibre.
I work with wool, silk, camel, alpaca, llama, angora, flax, seaweed, bamboo, and acrylic; always looking for the right fibre and texture for a detail and enjoying the challenge of learning new techniques and improving.
I use dry needle felting techniques to create my pictures on white merino felt as my 'canvas'. I like to keep the fibres quite loose to retain textures, so they are not too tightly felted. I see my artwork as 'painting with fibre' more than 'felting' as it does not produce a tactile object. All my work is framed behind glass to protect it.