Having stitched for recreation for some years, I studied embroidery and design at East Berkshire College between 1993 and 1999, gaining City and Guilds Creative Embroidery Parts 1 and 2 and achieving a Distinction in the Diploma in Stitched Textiles.  I also received the College’s own award for exceptional motivation.

Since graduating I have built a body of work ranging from wall hangings and panels to bags and vessels, working mostly in velvet, hand-made paper or felt. I have had articles and projects published in specialist magazines, and give talks on my work and career. I am a quilt judge certified by the Quilters' Guild of the British Isles.

My aim always is to produce work that is both beautiful and functional, with equal weight given to design and to craftsmanship in execution.  I am inspired by the art and craft of other times and cultures, and frequently draw from collections in museums and galleries, but after this initial ‘drawing for the record’ I generally work quite instinctively, trying out concepts using paper or fabric and permitting the piece to reveal itself to me.

Work can be bought direct from me at any time, and I am available to judge embroidery, art textiles and quilts. 

In January 2010 my novel, A World Invisible, was published by Wooden Hill Press.  This page-turner of a story kicks off in the V&A Museum in London and centres on an artist and her involvement with a parallel world.

A World Invisible is available from Amazon at £7.99.

Go to www.aworldinvisible.com for more information, including a free download of the prologue and first chapter.

Joanna O'Neill