The Return of Dr Knit and the Knitting Laboratory

Please tell us about the work you will be showing in the 2010 E17 Art Trail?

As with last year, I will be demonstrating a variety of arts and crafts techniques with an emphasis on knitting. As the Dr. Knit project has evolved I’ve been placing slightly more emphasis on the stories that accompany each of the knitted creatures, as well as developing new characters and histories to add to the ones I’d created last year.

On this occasion, people who visit the Laboratory will have an opportunity to meet some old friends from last year, for example, Dean and Martin the Sea-Horses and the Wobblies, as well as new additions, for example, Snowflake the White Rabbit and Dotty the Ladybird. This year there will also be a small section of things that went wrong(!) in the Laboratory.

All the characters can be read about, touched and experienced in the exhibit.

How many times have you taken part in the Trail?
Last year was the first time I’d participated in the Art Trail, and after the overwhelmingly positive reception I received I knew I had to return.

What kind of things inspire you to create art?
I draw great inspiration from children and the art they create. For me it is free, unspoilt and spontaneous. For the childlike imagination, which I try to access when developing my own work, I find I am less restricted in terms of what I can create. I also find everyday life inspiring, drawing ideas from objects around the house, an image in a magazine, a sound, the garden or something I see on the street.

What challenges (if any) do you face in preparing yourself and your work for the Trail?
As with last year, my biggest challenge is always time, as I have a full-time job. Even so, I find the work relaxing – it’s a good way to unwind, and I’m in the process of trying to find ways to concentrate more on my art.

Who are your favourite artists?
As I said before, my favourite artists are children, and for this reason I admire those adult artists who are in touch with this aspect of themselves, for example, Picasso, Miro, as well as contemporary artists like Jeff Koons and Tracey Emin. I also like illustrators including: Quentin Blake, Lauren Child, David Roberts. Also the folk artists, Julie Arkell and Rob Ryan and many more too numerous to mention here.

Please tell us two things you really like about Walthamstow?
I like the wonderful Art Trail of course! I also like to spend time in Walthamstow Village and often visit the Market as a rich source of bric-a-brac.

Please tell us one thing you wish Walthamstow had?
An arts and crafts market on a Sunday.