Susan Chapman
I try to inspire students by bringing plenty of examples of work and details of exhibitions as well as being organised and well prepared for the sessions I teach
What will students gain if they come on one of your courses?I hope all students will learn while enjoying their experience. They will achieve all the aims of the course and will know how to continue with their projects and develop their ideas for the future
Are there any particular techniques/processes you use in your teaching?All aspects of patchwork and quilting but especially contemporary techniques. I try to introduce the elements of design in all projects, to teach the process of keeping sketchbooks, and produce original book forms to record ideas and design development.
What inspires your own work?My work is mainly concerned with issues relating to people and the human form. Colour is of paramount importance to me and I am very much influenced by Matisse’s use of bright colour and simple repeating images. Emotionally the artists that also influence me are Eva Hesse, Louise Bourgeois, Andy Goldsworthy, Anthony Gormley, Anthony Frost, Jim Dine, Sue Dove and Dorothy Caldwell an ecletic mix but a constant source of excitement. Although my roots are in quiltmaking, I now collage my dyed, painted, printed, discharged, and screen printed fabrics then stitch and embellish my pieces by hand and machine. I work in two and three dimensions and am particularly interested in book forms as well as large scale work.
Where can students see examples of your work?Various exhibitions and also my website.
Where did you gain your training?City and guilds patchwork and quilting brockenhurst college, city and guilds adult teaching Winchester, dipHE stitched textiles, Windsor Chiltern bucks university (distinction)
Teaching experience:Eleven years of adult education of which six years are based at Eastleigh college, Southampton. I also teach and lecture freelance nationwide
Is your work in any public or private collections?Various private collections
Books and articles:Contributing author to a quilting encyclopedia, large variety of articles in patchwork publications including ‘quilting arts’, ’workshop on the web’, ‘popular patchwork’, currently writing a book based on a variety of print techniques
Professional groups and societies:Licentiate of the Society of Designer Craftsmen
Member of SAQA
Member of the surface design association
Member of Studio 21, By Design, and Fibre Art Wales
Contemporary Quilt, Quilter’s Guild U.K.
Embroiderer’s Guild.