Sarah's profile..."I come from Todmorden, but am based in central Manchester, and have recently graduated with a BA (Honours) in Embroidery. I have studied fine art textiles since I was at school, and working with fabric is something which has always appealed to me. My inspirations include nature, politics and street art. I work mainly with juxtapositions, such as life/death, beauty/horror and male/female. Artists I am inspired by include Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn, for their use of creative embroidery, and anybody who has the talent and the drive to use the street as a gallery. I enjoy bright colours and pattern, and often work intuitively by piecing together fabrics in a collage style, which I then embellish and embroider onto. I specialise in hand embroidery, and was placed in the top 10 of the Hand and Lock Handstitch competition in 2005. I also use a lot of screen and hand painting print as a base for my work. I create both one off art pieces, and more functional work, customising clothes and accessories. Although I specialise in textile work, I have a wide skills base, including drawing and painting, and am about to undertake a commission for Jilly's Rockworld, a popular alternative nightclub on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre. At the moment, pieces of my work are in exhibitions and collections all over the world, including the USA and Australia. I have also undertaken art workshops with young children, and enjoy passing my skills base onto others. I am available for all sorts of commission work." | 
