I am a Scottish artist based in the beautiful Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders. From as long as I can remember I have been drawing, painting and ‘making things’. I have always had a deep passion for colour and it’s ability to uplift and inspire me. My artist uncle nurtured my love of art and taught me how. I studied at Glasgow School of Art where I specialised in design and printed textiles. Although my passion is for painting , and after becoming more aware of a divide between what was referred to as fine art and what was craft, I decided I wanted to create an artform that married the two. For many years I have been developing my ‘felted paintings’ where I combine wet felting, needle felting, free motion stitching and hand stitch with a fine art, painterly application.
I especially love the lack of absolute control this medium offers meaning every pieces has a surprise element attached: an aspect I particularly enjoy. For the last 30 years I have been creating and developing this form of visual expression, generally inspired from the landscapes that surround me.
Living in the heart of what was formerly the hub of the Scottish textile industry I was lucky enough to have the late textile designer and painter Bernat Klein sit in on one of my classes. Another great honour was to have Kaffe Fassett quote “ Moy’s passionate use of colour and the deep texture created by felting are what draw me to her work. I also like the way that she concentrates on her surroundings for her subject matter – her work is very free.”
More recently I have been concentrating a bit more on my own space and a bit less on travel. I am trying to create a nurturing space where I am welcoming others to workshops and retreats at my home and studio which is fast becoming a bit of an Arts & Crafts centre. This has been a rewarding transition sharing my knowledge with others and helping them on their own creative journey. And when I am not doing this and all the rest I am slowly turning my garden into a mini Park Guell mosaicking every spare space I can find!
Over the past few years I have been running workshops and art retreats in this space. It has proved to be a great calming space to nurture others creativity. There is something very special about bringing a group of strangers together from around the world who are all brought together by a shared creative passion. This has been one of the most rewarding things I have done and like to think I am creating a colourful healing space where I feel very privileged to welcome a world of lovely colourful people to share it with me.
