“An artist who shares a little of themselves – their passion, inspiration and knowledge – to create a piece of handmade work, which has an authenticity, ‘a soul’, is immeasurable.”
Amanda Cobbett is an award-winning textile artist with over 30 years’ experience.
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She trained as a printed textile designer at Chelsea College of Art (UAL), and went on to work as a fashion print designer.
A move to the country and a gift of an old Bernina sewing machine enabled Amanda to finally realise her dream – to work from home as a professional artist, and to return to the art of making, and a more meaningful approach to the medium of textiles.
Her artistic talent is embedded in her DNA – her passion for textiles developed at an early age whilst watching her grandmothers, both gifted seamstresses. Her grandfather, a talented engineer, also played a part – his ability to visualise in three dimensions, and to deftly turn a sketch into an object, is a skill that Amanda has inherited, and which is manifest in her work today. These attributes, together with her love of mark-making, are the basis from which each piece of work is created.
Her twice-daily walk in the surrounding forest with her dog, is dubbed her ‘daily commute’ and is where she has found the perfect subject matter to replicate. In this peaceful environment, away from the hubbub of organising a busy home and family, she finds her inspiration and precious time for working through ideas and problems. As she walks, she scours the understorey of the forest floor seeking its hidden treasures. Over time, she has honed an inherent ability to locate intriguing flora in the most unexpected of places. From these beginnings, her three-dimensional, papier-mâché and machine-embroidered sculptures are then created in her studio in the Surrey Hills.
Amanda often grid references her original finds, and offers that information along with the embroidered artwork, giving it further authenticity. Her ‘slow textile’ process has garnered interest from scientists, conservationists, art collectors and textile enthusiasts alike.
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