Kentish Express - 2 October 2003 - Bold and Beautiful at Studio Day

Bold colourful textile wall hangings, abstract photography and tapestry portraits greeted visitors to a studio open day in Willesborough.

artists Mandy Munroe and Liz Garnett hosted the event at Mandy's home in Lacton Oast on Saturday.

Both women are members of Ashford Visual Artists and the open day was one of a number of similar events organised to promote local artists and their work.

Mandy specialises in contemporary and abstract textile wall pieces. She uses hand-dyed cotton and silk alongside commercially printed fabrics collected on her travels to create the pieces.

Using striking colours, textures and shapes, her work is inspired by anything from a holiday in France to a crack in a coffee cup.

She said: "I trained in traditional patchwork and quilting but now I have progressed to more contemporary work with much bolder cleaner pieces. I am mostly inspired by landscapes but sometimes it is stupid little things like a crack in a coffee mug.

"What is nice about this event is that people can see the work in a house and talk to us about it. It makes the whole thing more accessible."

Mandy has recently completed a commission for a client in Vienna and has won awards for her work, which has been exhibited in Europe and USA. She has also just been accepted as a member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and is currently creating a body of work for an exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London in January 2004.

Before branching out inot the world of fine art Liz was an established travel photographer and has exhibited in both the UK and Italy. Although some of photographic work was on display the open studio event was really a chance for her to launch her new portrait portfolio.