Barbara Reed Quilted Wall Hangings August 2000 A Recent Exhibition of work for sale at Newcastle Arts Centre Craft Shop. (This has now closed but we thought you might still like to view her work.) About the Artist Barbara studied Fine Art/Textile Design at college in the North East. She received a MA in African Art from De Montfort University, Leicester. Moved to Africa in 1969 where she was former Curator of Art at the National Museum and Art Gallery of Botswana. She was also appointed Co-Director of a multicultural art centre funded by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the regeneration project affecting people of the Tiger Bay and Docklands area of Cardiff.  Artist's Statement My life and work in Africa, and in particular, exposure to the collections of the National Museum & Art Gallery of Botswana, has provided the major focus for my work. Colour is also a motivating influence. The vibrant colours of my quilts act as a direct antidote to the dull winters of the North East coast. In the past my work was generally large in scale. Working very quickly I made textiles using African motifs in brilliant colours leaving ripped edgesto give a primitive raw feel. Working with professional quilters in Wales led to more 'finished' pieces. Using scraps of African fabrics, some collected in Uganda in the 1960's, I machine small strips together to make large pieces of material. These are cut into animal shapes and machine appliquéd onto a quilted background. I hand embroider using simple straight stitch. I often hand quilt around the animal shapes. I also use beads, plastic, glass and tiny thorn and eggshell beads made by the Kung San in the Kalahari Desert. The birth last year of a baby granddaughter, now living in Botswana, has directed my work to even smaller story quilts. My daughter's scrap books and photographs of life at home, and family safaris to the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, has inspired me to produce work that I can photograph and make into a book for my granddaughter. A visual record of her mother and aunt, two little girls growing up in Africa. Previous exhibitions Galleries and Museums Month. Jelly Legg'd Chicken Arts Centre, Reading Zoo exhibition & African Animals workshop. An Tuireann Arts Centre, Isle of Skye Common Threads In Botswana Sponsored by the British Council Textile & Fabric Show. NMAG, Botswana Art from Botswana. Bulawayo Art Gallery Batiks. Nodjylands Kunstmuseum, Denmark Collections Commissioned to produce large batik pieces as part of the permanent display of the National Museum of Botswana. Textile hanging for World Bank Offices, Botswana. Series of Wildlife paintings for the Department of Wildlife & National Parks, Botswana.     Butterfly and Bird Mask (2000) Wall quilt. 49cm x 110cm Machine applique, quilting and hand embroidery.Embellished with glass and ostrich eggshell beads. Inspired by NMAG's collection of masks and the appearance of hundreds of butterflies after the rain providing a rich feast for the local birdlife.

Se jise di kwena (do not feed the crocodile) Wall quilt. 41cm x 73cm. Machine quilting, applique and hand embroidery embellished with glass, thorn and ostrich eggshell beads made by the San bushmen in the Kalahari Desert. The museum had many animals living within the gardens including a large crocodile. Unfortunately children would throw rubbish into the crocodile pit including plastic bags which lodged in its throat. Children danced as the museum gardeners struggled to dislodge the plastic. Wild Dogs Hunting (2000) Wall quilt. 87cm(width) x 48cm. Machine applique, embroidery and hand embroidery. Inspired by a trip to the Okavango. We came across a long line of wild dogs crossing open ground on the trail of antelope. Hippo Pool (2000) Wall quilt. 68cm x 52cm. Machine applique, quilting and hand embroidery, embellished with plastic, glass and ostrich eggshell beads. Inspired by my daughter's scrapbooks. The first time they saw hippos during a visit to the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. Delta Animals (2000) Wall quilt. 44cm(width) x 69cm. Machine applique, quilting, embroidery with hand embroidery and beads. Inspired by the vivid colours of Okavango Delta. I wanted to depict vibrant jewelled animals. Rike's Porcupine (2000) Small Wall quilt. 36cm x 35cm. Machine applique, quilting and hand embroidery.Embellished with beads and painted buttons. A friend lives in a cottage in a beautiful village in Botswana. She keeps a lot of animals including guinea fowl and a porcupine.