11 September 2013 - Caroline Kirton, "Small Stories"

© Caroline Kirton
My Mum's a proper weirdo!
Appliqué, free machine embroidery and mixed media, 90cm x 114cm

Caroline Kirton got our 2013/2014 program to a great start with an entertaining and inspiring talk. It so nearly could have been a disaster when technology (or our lack of technical know how) once again let us down. We could get neither Caroline’s Mac nor Ulrike’s Notepad to connect to the projector. After several frustrating but fruitless attempts Caroline decided to start her talk without the visual aid of her lovingly prepared slide show. Fortunately Caroline’s husband was there to lend a helping hand and he held up the appropriate art work at the appropriate time, making sure everyone got a good view. Their double act was very successful but we apologise to Caroline and her husband that they needed to come up with a creative solution at short notice.

© Caroline Kirton
I think this will be okay for sixth form
Screen-print, appliqué and free machine embroidery, 60 x 90cm

Caroline describes her work as snap shots of how she views teenage life based on observations of her daughters and their friends. In practice, Caroline tries to create a sense of autobiography, recording stories, feelings, emotions and moments in time. Her pieces start with a saying or an overheard conversation. These sound bites feed into the whimsical titles of the finished pieces.

© Caroline Kirton
I look a mess
Appliqué and free machine embroidery, 53 x73cm

Caroline refers to her work as large scale drawings but she uses a combination of fabrics, free machine embroidery, appliqué and screen printing. From a distance the large canvases look very much like screen prints but up close you can all the attention to detail, like the carefully selected fabrics and fibres. Caroline says that she puts a lot of effort into sourcing and selecting the right fabrics.

I think that Caroline is a keen observer of life and her works of art represent a personal and very touching record of her growing family and the evolving relationships between her and her daughters. Many of us, especially those of us living with teenagers, could recognise and empathise with the scenes portrayed.