Friday Feature Artist

From corporate suits to studio silks, Roberta Wagner’s journey spans pottery, watercolour, and textile collage. Her art is a meditation on life itself. In this reflective conversation, Roberta explores the emotional truth of making, the beauty of asking the right questions, and how creativity becomes a parallel path to living.

Visit our website to view Roberta Wagner’s work, explore our courses, or dive into more articles and interv...

Fibre and mixed media artist Shin-hee Chin stitches portraits, installations and quilted forms that honour the quiet strength of womanhood and the complexity of belonging. Drawing on spirituality, feminism and Eastern philosophy, her art invites reflection on care, identity and paradox. Her recent piece Viriditas (Greenness) won Best of Show at Quilt National '25, celebrating innovation in contemporary quiltmaking!

Visit our we...

British artist Richard McVetis uses hand embroidery to explore the elusive nature of time. Best known for his monochrome stitched cubes and meticulous mark making, Richard’s work is a meditation on rhythm, imperfection, and the passage of time. In this reflective conversation, he shares how slowness, structure, and curiosity shape both his practice and his perspective.

Visit our website to view Richard’s work, explore our courses, o...

What does it mean to carry your ancestors in cloth? In this conversation, American textile artist Beverly Y Smith shares how quilting became a path to healing, remembrance and truth-telling. Her work honours ancestors, explores intergenerational trauma, and brings hidden histories to light. We’re honoured to share this conversation on Juneteenth – a day of reflection, remembrance, and the enduring power of Black storytelling.

Visit ...

In this episode, as we celebrate the launch of Edible Abstraction, New Zealand-based abstract painter Nicola Bennett invites us into her sensory-rich world, where flavour and colour lead the way. Nicola shares how ingredients like beetroot, fig, and asparagus inspire her abstract paintings – and how reconnecting with the senses can transform your creative process.

Visit our website to view Nicola's work, explore our courses, or...

In this episode, go behind the scenes with contemporary artist Pat Paul as she shares how she prints, pieces and composes her bold, abstract quilts. Working from her Rochester studio, Pat shares how she prints, pieces, and composes in a process that’s as instinctive as it is intentional. From surface design to spontaneous composition, this conversation is a deep dive into scale, saturation, and creative freedom.

Visit our website to...

In his layered, personal collages, Melbourne-based artist Robert Lee Davis transforms materials into whimsical landscapes of memory and place. From seed pods to postcards, Robert’s mixed media works ask us to look closer, not just at art, but at the world around us. This episode explores personal archives in the form of pictures, books and music, and the power of preserving story through collage. 

Visit our website to learn more abo...

In this tender and courageous conversation, textile artist Cas Holmes and fibre sculptor Clarissa Callesen explore how creativity becomes a lifeline in times of uncertainty. From caregiving to mental health, and found materials to found meaning, they speak honestly about making as an act of survival, resilience and quiet activism.

Visit our website to view Cas & Clarissa’s work, explore our courses, or dive into more articles an...

Architect-turned-quilter Luke Haynes creates quilts that comfort, challenge and connect. From monumental public installations to intimate affirmations and photo-based portraiture, his textile practice pushes the boundaries of what quilts can be. In this conversation, Luke speaks candidly about scale, intention, and the deeply personal reasons quilts became both his medium and message.

Visit our website to view Luke's work, expl...

As we celebrate the launch of Karen's first course with us, photographer, papermaker, and forest therapy guide Karen Olson returns to share how sensory experience, forest immersion, and intuitive making can unlock deep healing. Exploring the connection between art, nature, and the nervous system, Karen invites us to reimagine creativity as a practice of restoration, one rooted in rhythm, relationship, and the quiet intelligenc...

From fibre to found object, Theda Sandiford weaves stories of resilience, identity and social justice into tactile installations that invite healing and dialogue. Rooted in her lived experiences and community engagement, her work transforms everyday materials into catalysts for change – from zip tie blankets to emotional baggage carts. This episode explores art as both a personal sanctuary and a platform for collective truth-tellin...

Italian artist Carlotta Parisi brings poetry to life through handmade pigments, delicate paper sculpture and soulful stitch. From a vibrant career in illustration to a deep reckoning with grief, her work now emerges from the earth itself - textured, tender, and rooted in the land she loves. This episode honours creative renewal, ancestral wisdom, and the quiet power of transformation.

Visit our website to view Carlotta’s work, explo...

Jason Logan’s process for turning foraged materials into natural ink is one that’s as poetic as it is scientific. In this conversation, Jason explores the alchemy of colour, the power of observation, and the joy of creative experimentation. From black walnuts to ochre, he reveals how every pigment carries a story - and how anyone, anywhere, can become an ink maker.

Visit our website to view Jason’s work, explore our courses, or dive...

Claire Wellesley-Smith isn't just an artist; she's a weaver of communities. Her long-term, community-based projects are deeply rooted in the rich textile history of her surroundings, with a special focus on wool and cotton. We'll explore her acclaimed books, 'Slow Stitch' and 'Resilient Stitch,' and discover how her work champions sustainability, mental health, and local heritage. Get ready to hea...

Think quilting is all about perfection and precision? Think again. In this episode, we meet Amanda Nadig, a Chicago-based artist, whose quilts are stitched from stories hiding in secondhand fabric. Inspired by parenting and teaching high school art, Amanda has developed a textile practice as life happens around her. If you’ve ever felt pulled toward fabric, or want permission to find flow in the fabric of everyday life, this conver...

What happens to the dresses we once danced in, the gloves that warmed us during cold winters, and the fabrics that held our stories? In sculptor and installation artist Hannah Gartside’s hands, these fabrics don’t fade – they’re reborn. A former costume designer turned textile sculptor, Hannah reshapes worn and discarded fabrics into sculptures that dance with movement and emotion. For anyone drawn to the poetry of textiles, the en...

Can art save the planet? This week, we catch up with Swapna Namboodiri to hear how she repurposes everyday waste into striking, sustainable artworks. With an eye for the overlooked, Swapna challenges us to see beauty and potential in what’s been cast aside. If you’ve ever wondered how creativity can inspire change, this episode is for you.

Visit our website to view Swapna’s work, explore our courses, or dive into more articles and i...

Have you ever read a quilt? This week, we sit down with Sara Impey to chat about the intersection of text and textile. From exploring the subtleties of everyday language to weaving narratives with thread, Sara’s quilts challenge us to read between the lines - literally. If you’ve ever wondered how art can make you think, feel, and read all at once, this episode is for you. 

Visit our website to view Sara’s work, explore our courses,...