Introducing Mags Ramsay, guest artist on the fire blog

Strindberg Shore 

I met Mags Ramsay's work several years ago and have been following her blog since.
I equally love her Seascapes, Plants, Doors and Indigo series and her painted landscapes. They tell me wonderful stories of landscapes around us seen, enjoyed, reinterpreted in different mediums.

Gythion Glow - Detail

So I was very happy and excited when Mags offered to be guest artist on the fire blog for September showing us her technique on painting with acrylics on fabric. 
Her technique of using heavy acrylics and applying them AFTER quilting has been published in Quiltwow, a quarterly internet magazine and in the European monthly: Patchwork Professional but not in the US, as far as I know.
Mags has also offered to help me with my month, "Hand Stitched", sharing her experiences with us.

Nautical Dawn

She explains her background as following:

For many years I have used the watercolour sketches and photographs from travels around the world and closer to home as the source of inspiration for mixed media and art quilts. I describe my style as semi-abstracted landscape and I attempt to distill a sense of place into my artwork.

I grew up surrounded by fabric (my mother was an embroiderer) and I have always sewn, painted and drawn, studying art to ‘A’ level. I was encouraged to apply to art college but my strong interest in the environment and ability in science led to my choice of studying biology and biotechnology at University. A botanist by profession, I have built my career in science while continuing to develop my artistic skills. 

Rich as Honesty

I enjoy the process and problem-solving aspects of making art and my aim is to capture the excitement of drawing and sketches, interpreting them  in a textile piece directly , either ‘painting’ in fabric  or by  constructing pieced and densely quilted pieces overpainted with acrylic paints. I use fabrics (including African, Japanese, hand dyed indigo) in new and unexpected ways and honour and ‘repurpose’ old textiles such as antique quilts.  Hand and machine stitching are important means of mark-making and altering the surface.
Mags will write an intro to her month, September, telling more about her plans.