Rosalind Stoddart

Caring for our planet is a core part of my being.

MY RURAL SURROUNDINGS AND FIVE BEAUTIFUL ALPACAS HAVE REKINDLED MY CREATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL NATURE.

I originally trained as an artist and it is this background and an appreciation for shape and form that remains as a key aspect throughout my work today.

I have a deep rooted passion for caring for our planet. It’s a core part of my being and as a result I try to live my life with great depth and thought for the actions I take, both in my work and outside of it.

I have lived at the Water Tower in rural Northamptonshire for nearly three decades, and more latterly acquired the alpacas who rekindled my inquisitive and experimental passion for creating. Lockdown obviously forced stay-at-home activities, but it also gave me full permission, and indeed the need, to devote time to working in my studio without distraction. It was at this point I further developed my depth of understanding in my weaving and felting skills.

My designs are refined and, what might appear at first glance, simple but they come from a deep, personal process of observing, questioning and engaging in the natural world.

“I love everything about my work, from the curious, gentle nature of the alpacas, the smell of the freshly sheared fleeces, and each of the different processes right through to the finished piece of artwork. It’s what I call ‘slow art’, with every single process meticulously completed by hand and often taking many hours, but I believe the finished pieces are worth every moment.”

Through the very nature of the work, all of my collections are limited editions, and every piece is unique and reflects the environment and raw materials used throughout every stage of the process.

After graduating from Camberwell School of Arts and crafts with a BA (Hons) in Painting, I gained a PGCE: AD and spent several years teaching. Next, I worked full time as an artist exhibiting both in the UK and abroad, and was selected for one of the 1000 residencies across the country awarded by The Arts Council England in 2000. From late 1998 I began to exhibit other artists’ work in my home. The organisation which I started, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, became a formal not-for-profit limited company in 2004 and a Charity in 2008 with myself as Artistic Director. I have a broad interest in the arts focused on the visual arts and education. At Fermynwoods we were particularly interested in engaging with the environment (both rural and urban) especially with our Forestry Commission partnership, as well as current agendas in our locality. This was achieved through exhibitions, education programmes, residencies and outreach community projects. After a fulfilling 11 years, I resigned from Fermynwoods and for a while worked independently. In 2011 I initiated and led the community arts charity, Deep Roots Tall Trees (DRTT) with jazz singer Barb Jungr, for the next seven years. DRTT led projects including a concert at Corby’s Football ground with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, OUR WOODS – a festival of over 40 events celebrating Corby’s wonderful urban woodlands through music, dance, light, the arts, history and woodland management. I have also been a Trustee of The Core in Corby and NAMT (Northamptonshire Theatres), MOTUS Dancetheatre in Milton Keynes, and an observer on the Groundworks Northamptonshire board. I am also passionate about the environment, taking part in dance theatre, gardening and looking after all our animals. My textile work has been in exhibitions internationally including Venice and Brazil as well as many venues around the UK. Please see my CV on my website for further details.