When I first moved to the Vale of Belvoir four years ago, I did what I always do and that is wander around the graveyard in Bottesford. I love graveyards! I know its it an acquired taste but I love the carvings on the markers and also love seeing quirky names and the poignancy of some of the epitaphs. And because my mother died when I was so young, we would spend a lot of time at the place where she was buried so graveyards have always been a place of safety and peace for me.
What I saw in Bottesford was a carving like the one below and I was bowled over! It is so distinctive. I have seen lots of slate grave markers in Wales, but none like this. So I did a bit of research and found that these are Belvoir Angels - carvings found only in the Leicestershire are, made of Swithland slate and NO ONE KNOWS who made them!! I read up more and learnt about Bernard Heathcote and his wife's detailed research book "Vale of Belvoir Angels". I managed to borrow it from Grantham library and so that set me on this odyssey of making drawings and textiles inspired by them.
These are some of the pieces I have made that are inspired by the angels. I have designed stencilled fabrics and made papercuts which feature close translating's of the angels and also used elements as a motif to design my own angels designs, which I have hand printed with stencilling onto heavy weight, end of roll linens and made into cushions.
Here are some of my cushions - do visit my shop to purchase...
And designed tea towels with a rainbow angel too......
