Elgar, Gerontius and the enigma

My latest hanging, Gerontius, has been made for the Weaver's Gallery exhibition in Ledbury. The brief was Elgar, Pomp and Circumstance.

I spent a very interesting day doing research in Broadheath at the Elgar Museum and then in Worcester in the Cathedral.
I had an idea of making a piece to fulfil two briefs - never a good idea - but I take so long to design a piece and this winter it seems to have taken even longer.






Eventually I decided on the theme of Dreaming and the Dream of Gerontius.
There is the most beautiful commemorative stained glass window in Worcester cathedral and I took this as a starting point.
I was drawn to the powerful images of the angels and did some large drawings. I felt I didn't want the piece to be particularly representational so started to look at a more abstract idea with the wing shapes and ended up with fractured wings and a rather forbidding angel face.

After a few samples, I decided to use silk as the fabric - primary colours for the background representing the vibrant colours of the stained glass and different silks painted shades of grey for the feathers.