Help preserve our future
West Dean is part of a registered charity and relies on the support of generous donors, friends, legacies to help us deliver world-class education in conservation and the creative arts and maintain our award-winning gardens.
Rebecca Connolly
From her Cirencester studio, Rebecca Connolly creates woven textiles, weaving on vintage looms. She specialises in creating cloth with provenance, utilising the diversity of British wools with natural dyes. Commissions are hand-woven or designs developed for production weaving.
Rebecca graduated from Bath School of Art & Design and is a Licentiate of The Society of Designer Craftsmen.
Describe your approach to teaching.
My approach is to demonstrate the basics and get students weaving on their own looms. One to one support is offered as students learn and gain confidence. Techniques are introduced to grow knowledge with experimentation and personal expression through choice of yarn, colour and pattern facilitated.
What inspires your own work?
The challenge of creating bold patterning with the restraints of using a traditional loom. Nature’s resources; seasonal plants for a colour palette or the breed specific qualities of sheep’s wool. The sustainability, provenance and locality of raw materials can inspire a project too.