Friday 17 May 2013

From Aden to Zanzibar with Patricia Barrett.

Our May meeting was a thrill a minute with Patricia telling us of her worldwide travels which started as a child of 5 when her family went to Aden with her father, who was in the Airforce; and all the while being taught by her mother to knit and sew, draw and paint.  She especially liked making dolls clothes.

After training as a teacher for the deaf  and living in many parts of the world she ended up teaching at a School for the Deaf in Nassau, Bahamas and this was where her travels really took off – literally in a seaplane!!

Countries included - Peru, Lima, the Andes, Haiti, Panama where she picked up some San-Blas ‘Mola’ work – shown below, then on to the Galapagos, Chile, Ecuador…….

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After travelling back on a cruise liner that was being brought to Europe to be scrapped (so a cheap passage!) she returned to her teaching in Rochdale -
and  took a course to teach English as a Foreign Language.

She was soon off again, this time to Africa – Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Seychelles and Zanzibar AND -
eventually to Moscow – at the end of the Gorbachov era and from there excursions to Uzbekistan, Armenia, Georgia etc… and a wonderful woollen embroidered cloak, shown below.

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At some stage she had tried to join a night-school class for Weaving in London, where she was working at the time,  but found it was fully booked and by chance joined the Embroidery classes with a wonderfully inspiring teacher who encouraged her to develop her own work.

Throughout her travels she has kept sketchbooks which include all sorts of interesting drawings and notes – a great inspiration for the work she does now.

We are looking forward to her ‘Darning Stitch Techniques’ workshop next Saturday the 18th – look out for some ‘pics’ – I will try to take some examples from all those attending.

 

 

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