Margaret was born and educated in Barrow, and from an early age was fascinated by the culture of the Far East. Her first job was in the Drawing Office at the North Western Electricity Board. Among her many interests were painting and drawing, and her work, influenced at this time by Japanese block printing techniques, was exhibited many times with Barrow Society of Artists. During the 1990’s Margaret was able to make three trips to the Far East visiting Hong Kong and China.
After twenty two years as a draughtswoman, redundancy dictated a change of direction, the inevitable question being ‘What next?’ The solution was a two year GNVQ Advanced Art & Design course at Furness College where the Eastern influence continued and where Margaret was introduced to the art of felt-making. Her studies resulted in a Distinction and a special award for achievement.
Following on from this success Margaret was encouraged to take a three year Honours Degree course in Design Crafts (Contemporary Applied Arts) at Cumbria College of Art & Design, Carlisle (now Cumbria Institute of the Arts). Here she was able to experiment with different media, including wood, metal and ceramics. However, she eventually specialised in constructed textiles, concentrating on felt and taking advantage of the opportunity to do extensive research into the ancient felt-making traditions of Mongolia and Kazakstan. Having gained Upper Second Class Honours, Margaret continues to experiment with textiles, and has recently become a member of the International Feltmakers’ Association.
Major exhibitions to date:
2003 Emerging Young Artists’ Exhibition 2003, The Now! Gallery, Birmingham.
2002 ‘Ignite’ Degree Show, Cumbria College of Art & Design, Carlisle.
2001 Cultural Influences in the Making: Japan, (Japan 2001). Penrith Museum.