Amber Lily is an award-winning contemporary textile artist specialising in colour and mixed media. Her practice transforms overlooked details of everyday life - such as graffiti, scuffed surfaces, urban flora, and discarded materials - into expressive, abstract compositions. Sustainability is central to her approach, often incorporating repurposed fabrics, packaging, and household textiles. Combining techniques such as printing, dyeing, quilting, and free-motion embroidery, Amber creates playful, experimental works that reimagine traditional textiles in a contemporary way. Her workshops encourage participants to slow down, notice their surroundings, and find beauty in the unexpected.

This one-day workshop explores the interplay of colour, texture, and mark-making through both paper and textiles. The morning session focuses on paper and paint. Participants will begin by gathering inspiration from mood boards, and - (if possible) - spend a short time outside noticing overlooked details in the grounds. Using found materials, we will create expressive marks in pre-cut concertina books, working with mixed media such as pastels, paints, gouache, and inks. This stage encourages participants to move away from rigid approaches and experiment with freer, more abstract processes. Collage, stencil-making, and layering with different opacity papers will further expand ideas.

The afternoon session shifts into textiles, building on the visual research and mark-making from the morning. Using embroidery hoops as a base, participants will explore collage, appliqué, foiling, and embellishment with beads. They will work with a mixture of materials including recycled fabrics to create layered pieces that reflect their personal responses to the day's activities.
No previous experience is needed.

https://amberlilystudio.co.uk

Instagram - @amberlilystudio

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