Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

A retrospective exhibition featuring original creations including books, paper sculpture, vessels and fibre works.

Artist talk 25 & 26 September 11am and 2pm.

Ann Bell has spent her life creating unique artworks using fibre, textiles and paper. As a 4-year-old she remembers knitting using meat skewers during the war years, also crocheting, tatting and was sewing her own clothes at age 11. Following a pattern drafting course at age 21 she made a lucrative income making clothes for friends. Following training as a Physiotherapist, travelling and living overseas with her husband she went on to master spinning and weaving, incorporating natural dyeing of the wools and threads.

In 1998 she took a bookmaking class, loved it, and later moved into book art and sculptural work with paper, including book repairs, restoration and teaching nationally until recently.

5 years ago, Ann downsized and moved from Hamilton to a smaller villa in Cambridge and continues her artistic endeavours with the rule of not buying anything, only using treasures accumulated over the years.

Over her eight decades, she has explored creative directions in many media, incorporating paint, paper, silk tissue, fibre, thread, copper and found objects.

She has always loved the feel of different fibres, playing, working with her hands and being guided by her subconscious that dictates the direction of her work.

Never following a pattern, using unconventional materials and her love of experimenting with the “what if” theory with technique, textiles and colour combinations has led to winning many national awards, sales and commissions.

Ann’s retrospective exhibition ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’ will feature books, paper sculpture, vessels and fibre works some exhibited in Waikato for the first time previously only exhibited on the national scene.