Moths with clothing labels & pins

I have been making artwork with new and used clothing labels for some 20 years.  It came to my attention that the structure, colour and texture of a label is very similar to that of a fluffy moth. Often strikingly coloured and patterned, and sometimes dull and camouflaged. The reverse of a woven label is an artwork in itself with threads of textured colour reflecting each branded logo. Metallic moth colours can also be matched to silk printed clothing and care labels. From the 165,000 species of Lepidoptera I have selected six insects for reproduction. 

Collection of six moths will be available to purchase at The Makers, 47 Church Street, Ashbourne DE6 1AE from mid September, or contact me direct, 30 x 30 cm box framed in white. 

Collection of six moths will be available to purchase at The Makers, 47 Church Street, Ashbourne DE6 1AE from mid September, or contact me direct, 30 x 30 cm box framed in white. 

Red Cow - now sold to collector

Red garment labels are scarce in second hand circles and it took five years to gather sufficient used labels to produce Red Cow. The work evolved following my visit to a farm to study pedigree Ayrshire cattle, dairy farming and new milking technologies. The farm in Somerby, Leicestershire, has 120 Ayrshire cows; their milk is used to produce (the world-famous) Stilton cheese. The Ayrshire is both practical and pretty, with her smart red-and-white coat and is often described as being any shade of red and white with brown. The used labels in this collection reflect these colour ways and were gathered between 2003-2013, the labels are assembled on canvas using only dressmaker pins.