What fun we had at the June meeting at Lytham St Annes Embroiderers Guild! We were intrigued and excited to hear the talk entitled Mad Hats and Lovely Things given by Heather Wilson an artist who has a studio above Innovations at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire.
It was a laugh a minute as the flamboyant Heather regaled us with tales of her crazy creations such as the one below entitled 'Who are you calling a Lying Cow?' (Blogger was not happy with that and I had to rename the photo several times before it would upload it - Green Hat just does not do it justice does it?)
Also on the Bovine theme the black and white hat below is called 'Mooella de Ville' and sports two happy Fresian cows sitting on top.
All Heather's hats are meticulously hand sewn - NO GLUE GUNS allowed in her shop! Even tiny beads are painstakingly hand sewn on all the Hats and Fascinators produced by Heather.
Here she is below, holding a portfolio of her watercolours and wearing one of her Fascinators. A lovely lady with mermaid coloured hair, Heather is also a skilled artist and produces Name and Memory Paintings that record special events and the people, places or objects that have a significance for the intended recipient.
A huge amount of research and attention to detail goes into each A3 painting that give hours of pleasure to the viewer as they notice new things each time they look.
Every picture has a unique story to tell and often amusing anecdotes to boot.
What do you think of this hat with a difference? It is called 'Prawn Marie Celeste' and has some cute shrimp earrings to match.
Heather also had some Lovely Things that she had collected on her travels in Dhordo, India, where she purchased interesting items on sale in remote villages.
Here is a Wall Plaque make from cardboard, plaster and shisha mirrors. Despite being delicate the piece has definitely stood the test of time as Heather has owned it for 20 years!
This cheerful Toran, below, was one of my favourite items. The set has 2 pieces and the part with the pennants would hang over the top of the door frame with the long pieces hanging on each side.
Heather brought many other 'Lovely Things' such as Silk Saris and an Elephant Tea Cosy.
If you would like to see her work and maybe commission a special painting for yourself, visit Heather at her shop in Hebden Bridge or book a talk for your group here.
Meantime you can see more on her website www.hwilson.com
Many thanks Heather for visiting our group with your wonderful collection, fabulous watercolour paintings and entertaining stories.
