Creativity in the Stroud Valleys

I have lived in Stroud for 10 years now, and feel very lucky to have settled in such a beautiful, vibrant and creative area. Nearly everyone you bump into is an artist or maker of some sort, or closely related to one.

There is a strong history of the textile industry with many old weaving and spinning mills, often built by the river Frome to make use of water power, and some of those that survive have been converted into offices or studios, including Stafford Mill where I have a studio alongside my sister Victoria of Studio Vee, and fellow Winchester School of Art graduate Nick of Leto & Ariadne.

In the month of May, over two weekends, many of these artists and makers throw open the doors of their work spaces for the SIT Select Trail and SVA Open Studios. Having taken part and opened our own workshop for the last 4 years, this time we decided to opt out and visit some of the studios we have heard so much about but never been able to get to!

Here are some of my highlights;

Cleo Mussi mosaics at Frogmarsh Mill

Annie Hewitt ceramics at Frogmarsh Mill

Cleo Mussi mosaics at Frogmarsh Mill

Annie Hutchinson’s anthropomorphic creatures, at Liz Brooke Ward’s home studio

Victoria and Watson admiring Annie Hutchinson’s anthropomorphic creatures

The Textile Studio at SVA

Sarika Thakorlal at The Textile Studio at SVA

Mad in England needle point tapestry kits at the Selvedge Spring Fair

Sally Hampson at St. Mary’s Mill, Chalford

Norma Doveton at St. Mary’s Mill, Chalford