Claire Moynihan

I enjoyed the Knitting and Stitching show for lots of reasons, and seeing textile artists work is one of them. There was an area at the exhibition showcasing the best creative talent from this year's textile and applied arts degree courses. All the work was interesting but the artist that stood out for me was Claire Moynihan. She studied at the University of Hertfordshire, a local connection. Claire said , " I am primarily a three dimensional felt designer, working with locally sourced, un-dyed Alpaca wool. Drawing is of fundamental importance to my work and embroidery allows me to ‘draw’ with thread, on felt. Concerned with man's relationship with nature, I question our integrity in describing certain insects and moths as ‘pests’. I am intrigued by the indiscriminate destruction and devaluation that these creatures cause to everyday and priceless objects and the cost that we as humans place on that damage."Claire takes felt balls made from alpaca and embroiders exquisitely detailed moths on to them. She displays them like specimens in a glass exhibit case with a hand written label below each moth. I liked the play on words. Claire told me the inspiration came when a felt ball she was making rolled away, lost. Sometime later she chanced upon the lost ball, only to find it was full of holes made by a clothes moth. She made a connection and decided to make moth balls. The idea has expanded to embrace all kinds of insects. Claire's work is on show at Cube 3 Gallery, Plymouth until the 17th Oct, at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate in November and at the Mall Galleries as part of the Society of Designer Craftsmen show in January.

If you want to find out more about Claire visit her website http://www.clairemoynihan.co.uk/