The Poetry of Stitch Competition
Age 16 to 19
Audrey Walker
Audrey was a truly prolific artist trained in Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art followed by The Slade in London. She drew many pencil drawings and created wall hung embroidered textiles.
Her work is figurative and often suggests momentary encounters and secret smiles. Techniques are deliberately simple and direct. Modulations of colour and tone are achieved by building up layers of stitches, by hand and machine, over a variety of fabrics. The imagery is figurative and derives from observations, memories, poetry and myths. It sometimes references the work of such artists as Piero della Francesca, Rembrandt, Titian and Greek sculptures.
A few simple objects can prompt a “still life” which is concerned with the qualities of quietness and light. Explorations of colour and light are essential ingredients in all the work.
Find out more: 62group.org.uk/artist/audrey-walker-2
Untitled
1997
Pencil drawing.
Creative Prompt
This work is deceptively simple. The longer you look, the more potential stories suggest themselves.
Who was this person and why are they smiling?
Are they looking at someone or something just out of the frame or pondering a memory?
Moments captured in time like this by an artist, whilst seemingly referencing something small and particular, can simultaneously offer insight into the deeper concerns of humanity.
Can you reflect on an experience in your life, perhaps an everyday occurrence such as putting on a coat or hugging a friend, which acts as a metaphor for something beyond the act itself? Try and be as detailed as possible in your description and consider the use of anthromporhism or personification as techniques to extend your writing.
Remember a poem, like this picture, need not tell the whole story, just enough to suggest what may be and intrigue the reader
Created by Marina Castledine, Creative Learning Consultant Fiona.
To print the image and the prompt, download the PDF: