Andrea Hunter

“After graduating from Leeds University in 1987, I returned home to work as a professional artist in the small village of Hardraw. I worked predominantly in Charcoal and pastel for several years, before my interest in textiles uncovered a real love for felt making. I try to create depth, subtlety, texture and a real feeling of movement in my felt pictures. These qualities are born from a technique of working with fine layers of wool as if it were paint. It is this technique and a strong illustrative dimension, which I feel makes my work distinctly different from traditional felt art work.”

“I am inspired by the dales landscape, its inhabitants and particularly in the dramatic contrasts that the dales weather brings. I like to think my work has always had a strong sense of movement and that my monochrome images in particular capture the wildness of the fells. Creating light within the imagery through artistic skills and use of materials has increased the dramatic content of my work and is yet another step, I hope, in pushing the boundaries of felt making. My journey is ongoing, winding through new ways of seeing and old ways of understanding; but will always engage with the wild and beautiful places of home.”