a bit about me

My love for textiles began when I was a young girl. My mother was a couturière and teacher of upholstery at a London college, so from a young age I was surrounded by fabrics and loved to watch the process of choosing, handling, cutting, pinning and sewing. The smell of new fabric still transports me back to my childhood.

I began my career as an art and textiles teacher in London, where I was born, and have sinced lived and worked in various countries around the world. We moved back to France in 2022 and in the same year I opened my workshop / gallery in the centre of Pau, in south-west France.

The inspiration for my work comes from nature all around me and I like to spend time observing the smallest details as well as the great view.  My work is a celebration of colour in nature and even though it is in some respects representational, it leaves enough room for personal interpretation. 

I create my work with layers of fabrics: cutting, tearing, fraying and layering, then adding machine stitching for definition and detail. No glue is used.

It’s best to view my work from far and near, and from different angles, as it changes with the light.

I hope you enjoy it!

diane

diane@dianemacgowan.com