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Jan Beaney FSDC

Stitched & Constructed Textiles

About Jan
Jan is a textile artist fascinated by all forms of landscape. She creates compositions that are a synthesis of observational impressions rather than a literal image.
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Biography Back to top

Landscape in all its forms has been a major interest for several decades. Fleeting changes of light and subtle nuances continually intrigue and challenge her to create work where elements have been simplified or exaggerated whilst still retaining its entity. The aim is to create a simple image that captures the essence of the place along with accumulated memories and emotions experienced at that time.

She prefers to work in themes and keeps sketchbooks to inform her thought processes. This enables her to work through the first impressions endeavouring to progress to more subtle, evocative responses to unexpected aspects. Her initial reactions can take some time to develop allowing time to evaluate her responses and for memories to strengthen or fade. This in turn helps the selection and compilation process of exaggeration and understatement to formalise a design.

Resumé Back to top

Jan Beaney (Mrs Udall) NDD, ATC (Lond.) LCGI. MUniv. FSDC.

Teaching

1959- 68 Lecturer in Art and Embroidery (Grammar School and Whitelands

College)

1966--2006 Running training courses for teachers. Lectures and courses for branches of the Embroiderers’ Guild and other organisations. 1976 - Associate Lecturer in Embroidery at East Berkshire College, 2000 - Artist in Residence, Course Tutor - Diploma in Stitched Textiles.

1968-Present Giving lectures and running textile workshops across the UK and overseas.

Lectures and Workshops Overseas

1991 Two week study retreat CAE Conference, Florida USA.

1966-1997 Canada; Needleworks: Coupeville USA; Sydney Embroidery Festival,

Australia.

E.G.A National Seminar, Indianapolis, USA .

Various courses in Canada, California, Hawaii, New Zealand, including

California - Association of Machine Embroidery; Fresno Fibre Guild, Embroiderers’ Guild National Seminar, Canada and Australia.

Various courses in Washington, Indianapolis, Chicago USA.

1998-2001 E.G.A National Seminar, New Orleans, California, Canada, Australia,

Israel.

Callaway School of Needle Arts. E.G.A National Seminar Boston USA, Chicago, San Francisco, Textile Forum and other venues, Australia.

2002 Chicago, San Francisco, New Zealand National Conference,

2003 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Pine Mountain, Georgia. Baltimore.

2004 Fiber Arts Festival, Alaska, Freiburg and Irsee, Germany. San Francisco, Houston.

2005 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Atlanta. Australia - Textile Forums -Horsham, Orange.

2006 Various courses in California, Seattle, Freiburg and Irsee in Germany

2007 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Vancouver, Alaska, Ontario, Switzerland (Bernina)

2008 Fiber Forum, Orange, Australia, Freiburg, California, Italy

2009 Callaway School of Needle Arts, California, Ireland, Irsee, Switzerland, Italy.

2010 Jersey, Australia, Freiburg, Italy

2011 Callaway School of Needle Arts, California, Santa Fe, Italy

2012 Freiburg, Switzerland, Italy, Sedona

2013 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Italy

2014 Chicago, Taos, Freiburg, Italy

2015 Callaway School of Needle Arts, Preniac, France, Italy

2016 Freiburg, Italy.

2017 Preniac, France

2018 Florida, Germany, Italy

2019 Preniac, France

Other

1981-1993 Examiner for embroidery, City & Guilds.

1993 Awarded the Broderers’ Prize

1993 Awarded Licentiateship of City & Guilds of London Institute

1985-1993 Joint Chief Examiner for embroidery, City & Guilds.

1991-97 Verifier for Embroidery, City and Guilds

1995 Degree of Master of the University (honoris causa) - Surrey University

1996 Honorary Membership of City and Guilds

1998 Honorary Membership of 'The 62 Group of Textile Artists'

2001 Honorary membership of the Embroiderers' Guild

2001 Bernina Award for outstanding use of machine embroidery, ' Art of the

Stitch'

1978-Present President- Windsor and Maidenhead Branch of the Embroiderers' Guild.

Awarded ‘Textile Teacher of the Year’ (with Jean Littlejohn)

2012-2018 Joint President of Embroiderers’ Guild

2015 Fellow of the Society of Designer Craftsmen

Exhibitions

Joined the 62 Group in 1963 and shown in most of their major exhibitions, including those at Congress House, Festival Hall, Victoria & Albert Museum, National Museum of Wales, the Commonwealth Institute, Japan and Israel. Other exhibitions include ‘Stitched Textiles for Interiors’ at RIBA (1986), ‘Stitched Textiles – A Celebration’ Commonwealth Institute (1990), ‘Out of the Frame’ Crafts Council (1992),

Textiel & Europa Grenzeloos in the Hague, Holland (1993), Coats Anchor European Embroidery Design (1996), Route des Textiles Paris (1998), 62 Group, 50x50 London and Israel, (1998)

'Art of the Stitch', London (1999), The Splendid World of Needle Arts, Japan (1999). 'On and Off the Wall', 62 Group (1999), 'Out of the Garden', 62 Group. (2000). 'Cajobah Gallery', Birkenhead, (2001). 'Art of the Stitch' London (2001). 'Double Vision ' (with Jean Littlejohn) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate, (2002), Cajobah Gallery, Art of the Stitch'( 2003), Birkenhead, Holland, London. Quilt Star Gallery, Freiburg, Germany, (2004), 'Material Evidence',62 Group (2004), Art Embroidery, Pfaff (2004). ‘Close to Home’ Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate.(2006) ‘Tracing Threads’, 62 Group (2006). ‘Seeing Double’ (with Jean Littlejohn) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate, (2008). ‘Bending the Line’, 62 Group (2009), ‘Bending More Lines’, Holland, (2010), ‘Interventions’ 62 Group, ‘62@50’ (2012). 'Rhythms and Counter Rhythms' (with Jean Littlejohn) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate, (2013)’62 Group. NOW’ (2015). ‘Making Space’ 62 Group (2016) '25 Years Then and Now'(with Jean Littlejohn) , Knitting and Stitching Show, London, Dublin, Harrogate (2016). Textile Meditations, Armory Art Center, Florida, USA (2018), 'Side by Side' (with Jean Littlejohn), Maidenhead, (2019).

Work purchased for public and private collections in Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Germany, Sweden and Japan.

Publications

The Young Embroiderer published by Nicholas Kaye (1966)

Fun with Collage published by Kaye & Ward (1970) 1972, 1976 (Puffin), (1979)

Fun with Embroidery published by Kaye & Ward (1975)

Buildings in Picture, Collage & Design published by Pelham Books (1976)

Landscapes in Picture, Collage & Design, Pelham Books (1976)

Textures & Surface Patterns published by Pelham Books (1978)

Embroidery: New Approaches published by Pelham Books (1978) Paperback 1981

Stitches: New Approaches published by Batsford Books (1985) Paperback 1987, 2004

The Art of the Needle published by Century Hutchinson (1988) Paperback 1991

A Complete Guide to Creative Embroidery published by Century (co-author Jean Littlejohn) (1991). Reprinted by Batsford Books 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005

Vanishing Act published by Double Trouble Enterprises (1997)

Stitch Magic, Batsford Books (co-author Jean Littlejohn) (1998), 1999, Paperback 2005

Bonding & Beyond and Transfer to Transform (1999) Gardens and More, and Conversations with Constance, (2000) Trees as a Theme, and Giving Pleasure,(2001), New Dimensions, and Double Vision (2002)A Tale of Two Stitches, and A Sketch in Time (2003), No Stone Unturned, and Connections (2004), Colour Explorations, and Over the Line (2005) Grids to Stitch, and Seductive Surfaces (2006), Red, and Embellish and Enrich (2007), Location, Location and Seeing Double (2008), Fragile Fabrics and Constructions (2009), Stitchscapes (2010), Stitch Rhythms and Patterns (2011), Memory Cloths (2015), Just One More Thing (2019) all co-authored with Jean Littlejohn and published by Double Trouble Enterprises.

Articles

Contributed articles for: ‘The Flying Needle’ USA, ‘The World of Embroidery,’ Junior Education, ‘Pins and Needles’, ‘Radio Times’, ‘Textile Fibre Forum’, Australia, ‘Stitch’ and ‘Embroidery’ magazines.

Television

Presented the ten part BBC TV series Embroidery (1980). Also presented creative embroidery strands on Pebble Mill at One on BBC TV (1984-86)

1988 - 95 Presented items on Bazaar (BBC1), This Morning (ITV), Lifestyle, Wool Craft (This Morning), and Good Morning with Anne and Nick.

Videos/DVDs

Stitched Images (1988), Design into Stitch (1991), featured in Inspirations (1996), produced by Find a Fact Ltd. Contemporary Fibre Artists, Maker Profile, Jan Beaney (2006) and Seeing Double (with Jean Littlejohn, 2008) produced by Odyssey.

In Action (2010), In Stitches (2012), In Motion (2014) Interpretations (2017) all co-designed and presented with Jean Littlejohn and produced by Studio Galli.

Company Co-founder with Jean Littlejohn of Double Trouble Enterprises to

publish books and promote embroidery. (1997)

To date they have sold over 200,000 books and 8,000 DVDs.

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