About Kay

Having lived all my life in the Lincolnshire countryside surrounded by flowers and nature, I have been inspired by the colours and shapes that the natural world brings. I love bright colours and I am fascinated by the variation in texture and form that plants impart which in turn influences my work. Moreover, I am full of ideas and I am always making things, I can find uses for unwanted fabrics and yarns and enjoy the challenge of producing something beautiful and unusual out of discarded scraps.

In this high-tech age

of hustle and bustle, I find myself increasingly preoccupied in keeping alive traditional sewing and knitting skills and values that have been passed down to me. Therefore, I believe these qualities should be preserved for future generations.

I dislike the throwaway society that we have now become, but embrace the “make do and mend” attitude that our ancestors believed in.

My original artwork disciplines

mainly focused on textile art (including creative knitting and hand embroidery) and painting. My career has been varied but has always centred on my artistic abilities. In addition, having qualified as a textile artist, I started out designing and manufacturing knitted fashions and then moved on to teaching both adults and primary school children. The latter encompassed a wide variety of art and design techniques from textiles and fashion to fine art and theatre design.

My appreciation of past artists grows daily. The art movements I particularly enjoy are the Pre-Raphaelites, Impressionists, Rococo, Romantic and Baroque. Very classical tastes!

I am interested in history

and love to explore historical buildings. Fashions of the past also fascinate me and, as I learnt how to pattern cut in my younger days, I find the methods of construction used in these garments intriguing.

I am also a keen gardener and love a garden full of flowers as this in turn attracts wildlife. My garden provides me with great inspiration and I delight in capturing the unusual life of the garden with photography. Growing vegetables and herbs enhances my culinary creations as I am a lover of all things homemade.

Greeting card design and illustrating books

is now my main focus. I feel I can draw on my life experiences and interests. My passion for mixing colourful yarns and fabrics, my interest in history and my appreciation for art and nature have all brought a new sense of freedom and ideas to my art and designs.

Kay A Burton

www,kayburton.co.uk