Following the intensive two weeks I spent in Shetland in March, I arrived back in Brighton full of ideas and information and laden with reference material. I laid it all out, turning my studio into something resembling a knitwear resource, with hundreds of images of knitwear, knitting patterns, design work produced during the workshops and, to complete the ambience, an oral history of Fair Isle knitting playing through the speakers.
From this immersion – an intense period of studying and drawing – came these designs. The designs are inspired by Fair Isle knitting – in particular berets – richly patterned and highly coloured, which is just what inspires me, one of the many reasons I am so excited about this commission. I took particular care to pay attention to traditional colour schemes and typical patterns and used the designs the children had come up with as inspiration towards the final designs.
The sculptures have become nicknamed as “toadstools” due to their shape. I have designed five to be sited in clusters in an elongated, meandering row, to take full advantage and make the most of the space.
The view here is looking out over the hills with the school building on the right hand side.
