Nicola’s work will be exhibited at Fox Yard Studio from Friday 23rd January – 3rd February 2026.
Autumn walks brought the fun of foraging and I became obsessed with Sweet Chestnuts, the usefulness of being able to make sage and chestnut stuffing for Christmas lunch. But also the shape, the way there are normal 3 chestnuts in the shell snuggled together giving the middle one 2 flat sides and the outer ones a flat and rounded side. Working with British grown willow to create this natural shape, adding the tufts that come off the top of the chestnut. Foraged fallen Birch branches gave a further wispy feel to the piece, softening and giving movement.
I wanted to use just local/British fibres in this piece giving it a homely feel as the smell of sweet chestnuts roasting brings. I had some lime bast fibres from Suffolk which I made into cordage and looped between some of the gaps of the random weaved piece. I had brought back from the Isle of Skye wool that had been naturally dyed from local sheep . This I weaved between further gaps in the piece bringing a soft colour of green, adding collected poppy seed heads from my garden. Filling in gaps with these patches, reminded me how time in nature can fill the gaps in us.
Winter husk brings a hope of caring for nature while seeing the usefulness of nature to create beautiful work.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DToKpgdDHh9/
