6000 Name tapes

When I heard the news about the Duke of Edinburgh stepping down from his official royal duties in the autumn of 2017, I immediately saw an opportunity for a project that would celebrate his contribution to The DofE Award since 1956. My idea was to use the names of people who had completed their DofE Award at Bronze, Silver or Gold. The names would be woven onto cotton tapes and used to assemble the Duke’s portrait with dressmaker pins on canvas. The response to the callout to put forward a name was fantastic and within a week I had gathered the names of 100 lucky participants. Some people put forward their own name while others put forward a friend or relatives name as a surprise gift. I received a name from Canada, and a Gold DofE participant who collected her award 38 years ago at Buckingham Palace from the Duke himself.  By special invitation the portrait also includes the name of Double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes (Silver Award), also well-known TV presenter Jim Rosenthal (Gold Award).

The portrait measures 88cm high x 72cm wide, it took 209 hours to assemble and used 130grams of dressmaker pins.  The portrait will be exhibited in the window at The Makers, 47 Church Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1AE from Friday 17th November until Friday 24th November 2017. It will be displayed for the first time alongside the WW1 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the 70th wedding anniversary of the royal couple.

Bank of England at Winchester Cathedral

I travelled down from Derbyshire to be part of the whole day celebrations at Winchester Cathedral for the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s passing. It was an amazing day with diverse events including the launch of the new ten-pound note by The Bank of England. The Dean and Dr Gillian Dow made special tributes to Jane Austen, not only about her very special resting place at the Cathedral but also how she now has the ability to travel the world in our pockets and purses. The Dean, Catherine Ogle also praised their summer exhibition, ‘Inspired by the Word’, and how artists had been selected to create art. It is an honour to have my portrait of Jane Austen, made from labels and pins included in the exhibition, particularly with such a local and global dedicated audience (ends 30th Sept 2017). 

Winchester Cathedral exhibition 8th June-30th Sept 2017

Joy Pitts is assembling a contemporary portrait of Jane Austen. 71 words from the opening paragraph, Chapter 1 of Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are woven onto 4000 cotton tapes and assembled in Austen’s face using only dressmaker pins. The background of the canvas is covered with 1000's of nametapes listing the 16 main characters.

Winchester Cathedral - Inspired by the word

Work in progress: 71 words.
A contemporary portrait of Jane Austen for Winchester Cathedral. 71 words from the opening paragraph, Chapter 1 of Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice are woven onto 4000 cotton tapes and assembled in Austen’s face using only dressmaker pins. The background of the canvas is covered with 1000's of nametapes listing the 16 main characters.
Exhibition at Winchester Cathedral from 8th June - 30th September 2017.

2016 Highlights

What a fantastic year! 

It began on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II birthday with an invitation to exhibit the royal portrait in the window of bespoke tailors Meyer & Mortimer, Mayfair, London. The portrait then toured to Smalley's, a Gentleman's outfitters in Nottingham for the official celebrations in June, followed by an invitation to attend a street party at Bakewell Old House Museum, Derbyshire. The royal portrait made from names taken from a Derbyshire War Memorial then spent the summer at Derby Museum, where residents were thrilled to find WW1 family names in the artwork. Finally in 2016 the portrait was selected for exhibition at the prestigious Bishops Palace, Wells, Somerset. It was here that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall viewed my work hanging amongst the historic portraits in the Long Gallery. 

Also worth mentioning is my portrait of Sir Winston Churchill, a collaboration with three of Churchill's selected outfitters on Savile Row and St James, London. Known as Britain's 'Best-dressed PM' Churchill's portrait toured to the three windows in the Autumn of 2016. 

My work also appeared on BBC FOUR MAKE #craftbritain in June and in several newspapers and publications including Country Life Magazine and The Radio Times. 2016 concluded with a commission for Bromley House Library, an artwork to celebrate 200 years of this amazing library in Nottingham Market Square. Please feel free to visit the library to view the work in the new reading room. 

I am now looking forward to 2017, and to sharing my work as new projects and exciting collaborations evolve.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year. Joy Pitts. 

Bromley House Library Commission Unveiled

The commission to mark 200 years of the Library was unveiled yesterday at Nottingham.

Churchill at Turnbull & Asser

Turnbull & Asser were favoured by Churchill, pattern cutting and crafting his shirts and spot silk bow ties. Later referring to Churchill simply as size 46 and designing his famous ‘siren suit’.          READ MORE

Turnbull & Asser, 71-72 Jermyn Street, London. SW1Y 6PF (displayed in store next to Churchill's famous green siren suit) until November 30th 2016. 

Winston Churchill on Savile Row

For the month of October 2016 Churchill's portrait will sit proudly in the window at Henry Poole, No. 15 Savile Row, London. READ MORE

From Savile Row to Wirksworth Festival