Meet the Tutor - Karen Selk

Introducing Fibre Festival 2012’s second keynote speaker, internationally renowned silk specialist, Karen Selk from British Columbia, Canada.

Karen has been a textile designer and artist since 1972. Her primary focus has been weaving, and fusing felt with silk. A quest for knowledge of the many aspects of silk has taken her throughout Asia, researching the history and heritage of silk traditions. She travels worldwide, sharing her experience through lectures and workshops, and has also organised and led textile and cultural tours to India, Bhutan and Laos.

The cloth, culture and people of other countries, as well as the life in Karen’s garden, are the source of her creative spirit. She is the author of numerous magazine articles, an education poster about the life cycle of the silkworm, and a silk fusion video.

Karen has spent many years as managing director of Treenway Silks, designing and developing new yarns, fibres, kits and colour palettes, but she has recently sold the business after 35 years’ involvement. She can now concentrate on her own creative work, as well as continue to give workshops and lectures.

To quote Karen
“Delicate, strong, dyed a thousand colours and woven into the fabric of history. Who can resist the lure of silk?”

Karen will deliver two keynote addresses at Festival and conduct a workshop after Festival. Details will be posted soon.

Creative Fibre members are very fortunate to have this opportunity to be entertained and informed by Karen, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Ashford Handicrafts Ltd.

Chris

* All photographs used with the permission of Karen Selk. *

Meet the Tutor - Kim Thittichai

We are most fortunate that Kim Thittichai will be with us for Festival as keynote speaker and to conduct a workshop after Festival – details will be posted soon.

Kim has given us this understated bio for the blog:

“I am a textile artist, tutor and author based in Brighton, East Sussex. I lecture and deliver workshops internationally from Alaska to Australia. My workshops tend to promote the safe use of heat tools and heat ‘distressable’ products such as Tyvek, Vilene Spunbond and Bondaweb. The exciting exploration of new textile techniques is at the heart of all my workshops.

"I have written three books, Hot Textiles, Experimental Textiles and the latest – Layered Textiles, which will be published in August 2011.”

Marlborough Guild has Kim's first 2 books in the library, and they have been very popular with the Guild members. We look forward to her third.

What a treat it will be to hear from such an inspirational artist in person.

Christine & Joan

* All photographs used with the permission of Kim Thittichai. *