Granary Studio Tutors

Alsyn is an experienced artist, tutor and writer whose work connects fabric, stitch, metal, mixed media and visual art. With a background in Marine Biology, Biochemistry and Biochemical Systematics, her practice is informed by science, the natural environment and the traditions of different cultures. Her work is often abstract, layered and contemplative, using complex surfaces, woven structures, pattern and material experimentation to create an emotive response. Formerly based in the Midlands, where she developed the Beetroot Tree Gallery, she now lives north of Auckland, New Zealand, focusing on creating, writing and teaching.

Caroline Bell is a visiting tutor at The Granary Studio. She specialises in Eco printing and Dyeing on both paper and fabric, as well as natural indigo dyeing and hand stitch. 

Clare Bullock is a felt artist, textile artist, tutor and speaker with 18 years’ experience working with felt. Based at her own studio in Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, she teaches workshops there and as a guest tutor at venues around the country, including Granary Studio. 

Clare’s work and teaching focus on expressive feltmaking, colour, texture, stitch and three-dimensional forms. Her workshops include felt pods and pots, felt flowers and Nuno travel cloths, combining practical technique with an open, personal approach to materials. She is experienced in teaching groups, guilds and organisations, as well as tailoring workshops to particular needs.

Debbie Lyddon is a visiting tutor at the Granary Studio. she specialises in mixed media.

Debbie Lyddon is an artist and maker based in Surrey and Norfolk, UK. Her creative practice explores landscape and place and includes mixed media cloths, sculpture, installation and drawing. Her inspiration comes from experiencing and paying attention to her surroundings.

Helen Sill is an artist, tutor and practice-based researcher with over thirty years’ experience in stitched textiles and fine art. Her work brings together drawing, stitch, textiles and reclaimed materials, with a particular interest in hand embroidery, embodied learning and global textile traditions. She teaches a wide range of techniques including Indian embroidery, shisha work, sashiko and visible mending. 

Helen’s current PhD explores how making generates and carries knowledge through touch, repetition and attention. Her research and teaching are also informed by South Asian textiles, especially those of Gujarat.

Kate Findlay is a Berkshire-based textile artist, teacher and speaker. She trained in industrial textiles at Kidderminster College and worked in the carpet industry before retraining as a teacher, going on to teach Design Technology and Art for many years. 

Kate creates textile “fabric paintings” using appliqué, hand-dyed fabrics, print, paint and stitch. Her work has included a major series inspired by the Large Hadron Collider, alongside pieces inspired by birds, wildlife, landscapes and woodlands. She travels widely giving talks and workshops based on her textile practice.

Linda Miller is a professional embroiderer, tutor and author specialising in free machine embroidery. She studied printed textiles at Winchester School of Art and established her full-time studio practice in 1989.

Linda’s work has been exhibited in the UK, Europe and the USA, and is held in public and private collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum and Arts Council Southeast. She is the author of Creative Machine Embroidery and Stitched Pictures, and regularly teaches workshops, gives talks and shares her enthusiasm for drawing, colour and machine stitch.

Rachael Singleton is a South Yorkshire-based textile and mixed-media artist, tutor and mentor. Her work combines paper, fabric, fibres, stitch and found or gathered materials to create layered, one-of-a-kind pieces and small series. 

Rachael has exhibited through textile and art groups, projects and galleries, and has taught workshops and mentored artists nationally. An ILM-qualified coach and mentor, with a background in education and creative development, she brings thoughtful guidance, material knowledge and clear creative support to her teaching.

Rachel Johnston is an artist and tapestry weaver whose practice brings together painting, woven textiles, stitch, sculpture and socially engaged art. She studied painting before completing an MA in Fine Art Tapestry at the Royal College of Art, and was for many years a senior lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Chichester. Rachel has worked on commissioned and public art projects across the UK, exhibited widely, and is a member and studio holder at Art Space Portsmouth. Her work has been shown in the Cordis Prize for Tapestry exhibitions and with Soft Geometry.

Susan Chapman is the principal tutor at Granary Studio and has many years’ experience teaching textile processes, stitch and mixed-media approaches. She has taught students from complete beginners through to advanced and degree-level study, with a clear, practical and supportive teaching style. Susan also selects Granary Studio’s visiting tutors, choosing experienced artists and specialist practitioners with strong subject knowledge and proven teaching ability.

Wendy Dolan is a textile artist, tutor, lecturer and author specialising in freehand machine embroidery and creative stitching techniques. She is a Fellow of The Society of Designer Craftsmen, The Sussex Guild of Designers and Makers and The Embroiderers’ Guild, and is listed on the Crafts Council Makers’ Index. 

Wendy holds a B.Ed. degree and a Diploma in Creative Embroidery, and exhibits, teaches and lectures nationally and internationally. She is the author of Layer, Paint and Stitch, and brings strong technical knowledge, design experience and skilled tuition to her workshops.