We had an inspiring visit on Sunday to Platform One Gallery on Todmorden train station to listen to Nicolette Lafonseca give an artists talk about her latest work and exhibition.
Nicolette had some 'develop your creative practice' funding from the arts council (which is not easy to get) to experiment with making her work completely circular and eco friendly all the way from beginning to end and she was able to take a deep dive into the process of making natural dyes and inks.
Ooooh the colours you can make from onion skins and willow leaves and birch bark and buddleia seeds...
They made such a beautiful palette when you saw them altogether. Just like nature itself.
Then she used the colours she made with fabric and ink and stitch to create beautiful prints, weavings, drawings, quilts and embroideries.
All the different coloured threads in this weaving are made from birch bark, each with different levels of ph!
Each of her pieces tell important stories.
I've woke up this morning still thinking about one called 'We Will Treasure You' where she made individual stitches over a long period of time whilst on various walks around the valley, each stitch considering lost habitats and broken wildlife corridors. The care, attention and time taken with every stitch shows there is 'no shortcut to treasuring the world around us. We must do the work'. The landscape is woven into the piece.
Her exhibition is still on at Todmorden station until 1st June and it's really worth hopping on the train for!
AND I'm excited because she will be my pop up guest at my open studio so on November 8th 2025 you'll be able to chat with her about all her dyes, inks and alchemy! Put the date in your diary and come and visit us. She made good pakora too...maybe she can be persuaded to bring some more...
