Edith Pargh Barton
Please can you tell us about your upbringing?
I was born in New York. My father was a mechanical engineer and a creative practical person. My mother was quite talented with sewing and hand embroidery and knitting. She loved complicated knitting patterns and cross stitch.
I watched my mother make all my clothes from patterns. She also made clothes for my dolls. Her sewing machine was in my bedroom when I was young. Half of my relatives are creatives and the other half are scientific.
Did you have a formal art education or are you self-taught?
I have a BA in Art with a minor in education (to be able to teach art) from Long Island University then courses in Illustration and Graphic Design from the School of Visual Art, NYC and many courses at California State University where I enrolled in a Master’s degree but then moved to the UK so it was not completed.
Did you make art as a child?
Yes, I drew, painted, played with mud, made things I found during walks in the Adirondak mountains and did origami.
What is your earliest memory associated with art?
Dressing my dolls while my mother was using her sewing machine.
Watching my father working as a precision mechanic, making small engine parts.
Was there a moment or a person or a place in your past that influenced you or you feel set you on the journey to where you are now? Mentor
My Aunt Muriel was a professional artist, as a painter and a ceramicist. She wrote a pottery book which I still have today. She took me to museums in NYC and enrolled me on day courses in museums as a child. I also presently have a mentor which keeps me on my journey.
Please describe your practice in 3 adjectives
Quirky, thought provoking, unique
Where are you finding ideas and inspiration for your artwork right now?
Always the landscape and my imagination - both works together. Shapes and forms. Details in nature
What is the best thing about being an artist?
To be able to keep myself occupied creatively, lateral thinking and being part of an unconventional tribe of like-minded people. I love the art community; like-minded people - we speak the same language.
And the worst?!
Emotional turmoil and doubt when ideas and creativity temporarily dry up.
What international art destination do you most want to visit?
New Mexico, Van Couver, Canada again, Barcelona.
What work of art would you most like to own?
Christinas World by Andrew Wyeth
Please tell us about your working environment…
I have my own studio in my garden which houses my sewing machine and all art supplies and sewing supplies. There is plenty of space for storage, books and areas for painting a little separate from the textile work.
Please tell us a little about the process involved in making your art?
I have two processes, one as a painter and one as a textile sculptor. The disciplines cross over and each influences the other. I paint on board or canvas with oil colours, draw and also use watercolours as part of my sketch work. My fabric sculptures are painted and stitched and the marks are similar in both painting and textiles.
What's the most indispensable item in your studio?
Windows. I like the space to sit and look out the windows. If my studio was a windowless boxed room, I think I would be very sad.
What advice would you give those aspiring to make a living out of their art?
Be part of a group, believe in yourself, don’t give up and do work that makes you happy.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
Teacher, dancer?
What advice would you give to those aspiring to make a living out of art?
Be part of a group, believe in yourself, don’t give up and do work that makes you happy.
What is the most important thing to know about you?
Perspicacity (good observational skills) and a sense of humour.
Please tell us one unexpected thing about yourself.
I am shy.