Carolyn Stewart*
Carolyn Stewart | Textiles | Dorset
Carolyn Stewart is a silk painter and dyer living in West Dorset. She uses a variety of techniques including, shibori, batik and resists to produce silk scarves, accessories, and homewares.
She composes using large and small-scale marks, to produce dynamic, abstract designs that often suggest repeat whilst not being restricted by it. Colour is always at the heart of her work. She was attracted to working on silk initially because of the way in which it dyes to such an extraordinary range of colours. She loves the way dye moves across silk and seeks to use that property - containing it without losing its freshness. She uses mainly acid dyes but also experimentis with natural dyes made from local plants.
Her inspirations come from an eclectic range of sources -from modernist painting to historical textiles- constantly collecting imagery and colour and textural combinations. A recent collection of scarves took their inspiration from Stanley Spencer’s Sandham Chapel. But what inspires her most, is the excitement of that moment when the dye meets the fabric.
Carolyn has carried out commissions for both scarves and hangings, and is happy to consider any type of work – as long as its silk!