Kathryn Iliff 

Textile artist Kathryn is a former art and special education teacher who has been creating for as long as she can remember. 

From sewing dolls clothes as a child and being enraptured by the arts and crafts she learned as a Girl Guide, to discovering patchwork and quilting as a young mother.

Kathryn describes herself as an artist in love with many disciplines —  textiles, drawing, collage, and mixed media are but a few…

Environmental sustainability is common theme in her art, both in the diverse materials she experiments with and the stories she chooses to tell.

My creative space is…

very messy. I have a room in my house which was once a daughter’s bedroom room, but has now gone through several iterations for my art (sewing room, studio, storage area). I spread out to create on a big wooden table in my dining room. The table has been in my family for generations and I love it. The ornate chairs are forming inspiration for some art pieces I am currently working on. I have also made myself a ‘wet area’ under the house next to the laundry. Here I dye fabric, use paint or anything that requires water and that makes a mess. It’s lovely because I can easily walk away from the mess when I’m done!

My art is unique because…

there is a story woven into every piece. The story could be there before I start as I try to tell it through a textile or soft image…or, the story might evolve as I stitch. This is why I prefer to hand stitch almost everything. I must admit I am a bit frightened of my sewing machines and probably don’t use them to my best advantage. I tend to use whatever fabric I have to hand. I love using whatever takes my fancy and leaving raggedy edges. Having the back showing as the ’hand of the maker’ is a concept that is very important to my work.

Inspiration for my art comes from…

using vintage fabrics that could also have embroidery on them from a maker of old. Adding the work of my hands to theirs to persist in developing a story from them excites me. The story evolves as I work. Another big inspiration for me is sustainability, which I am very committed to. I see the birds and weeds and they conjure images and memories of my children in the back yard…it all inspires me. I am very interested in the idea of ancestral memory informing concepts and works in my head or on paper. Travel inspires me too but I am conscious that the enviroment needs us to do less of this.

My favourite tool for creating is…

my hands. They come first. After that it would be needle and threads, scissors and pins, fabric and thread.

How I make space in my life for art…

By not worrying about the housework! My whole day is filled with art. Thinking, planning, and observing even when away from my studio.

What my art has taught me…

to be confident and do things my way. I try not to worry about what others think of my work as that often leads to hits to my self-esteem. The world is full of inspiration and I start from where I am. Things that affect me; from my near environment to world events and domestic spheres.

Words that inspire me…

Take time to rest and ponder, to lie on the grass and watch clouds, drink from a beautiful cup/glass, watch the simplicity of children.

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