Profile

"My work is a response to images that attract me:
The contrasts between sharp and muted, graphic and blurred.
The translucent brightness of sunlight through coloured glass.
The character of the English cottage and red brick terrace.
The layering together of tone and texture where surfaces
appear broken or fragmented. These are the elements I
endeavour to build into my work - not based on realism but on
the essence of a subject as I see and feel it. Whether that work
is a painting, or a textile piece, the process is the same - a
project of many fits and starts. Finally, I see the finished piece in
my minds eye and follow that image through to a conclusion"

Gilly_botabstract_2_copy

BOTTLE ABSTRACT
watercolour & ink 2006

Gilly finds it hard to recall a time when she wasn't interested in art and creativity - in colour, texture, shape and drawing. "I adored fabrics and fashion from an early age" she says, "something I inherited from my mother". Gilly loved to sew and at 10 years old began to make clothes. It was obviously in her blood because as well as her mother's interest in dressmaking, Gilly had relatives who had been glove-makers - including her maternal grandmother. They were employed in some of the many glove factories around the city of Worcester - including Dents and Fownes - which formed part of what was then an important local industry. "I also had a great-uncle on my father's side who had been a carpet designer at Brintons - it certainly explains why I never really found my forte in office work - something I did for several years!"

IMG_3212_2_GLOVES

PAUL POIRET - EMBROIDERED KID GLOVES
a sketch made during a study of the
early 20th century French designer

Her interest in design and making developed further. At 18 she joined a local amateur theatre group, making costumes and painting sets. " I have always been a bit of a dreamer - practical in terms of the physical creative requirements - but not pragmatic. To turn a thought - an idea - into the visible and tangible is an exciting process - sometimes magical, frequently frustrating but infinitely worthwhile. For me, function follows form - the creative process and aesthetic is what I enjoy most in my work."

seagull_2988_copy

seagull masks made for
MALVERN THEATRE PLAYERS 2008 production of
James And The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

During the 1980's and early 1990's, Gilly was a fabric retailer. She was also a knitwear designer trading as Gilly Moon. Her designs sold in Europe and Australia, as well as in the UK. Later, when the recession came, she studied Fashion & Textile Design at the University of the West of England, Bristol, under the tutelage of Janet Haigh. During this time she was commissioned by Mulberry to design a knitwear collection. She graduated in 1995 and 3 years later began teaching textiles, fashion and costume at The School of Art & Design, at Worcester College of Technology.

GillyMoon_9

designs from the
GILLY MOON knitwear range c1990's

More recently she has endeavoured to focus on her mixed media work: " I love to work with paper, inks and paint as well as stitch and cloth - so although I have a textile background, the term 'mixed media' is a truer definition of my current practice and offers me a wider scope of expression." Currently, Up-Front, a group of 8 female artists, of which Gilly is a member, are being kept busy with their debut collection of Altered Art Bras, which is touring various venues around the country raising money for breast cancer charities.

Art_Bra_Post_Card

UP-FRONT
Altered Art Bra Collection

Gilly works from her cottage in Worcestershire, overlooking the beautiful Teme Valley where she lives with her husband John and their big dog, Basil.

IMG_3219_copy

GILLY at home in Worcestershire
with husband JOHN and big dog BAZ