Margaret Jones – VERVE to WEAVE

Margaret Jones is an accomplished tapestry weaver with a deep-rooted passion for her craft. Since the very start she realised that tapestry weaving was what she had to do – it was just perfect, right from the moment she touched warp to weft.
Her work is a journey into unexpected stories, inspiring narratives interweaving historical references, her own mythologies and lyrical imagery into vivid portrayals of both traditional and uncommon themes. You are unlikely to find medieval maidens and unicorns in her work, but you never know. Come to that she never quite knows what will come next, an overheard conversation or a chance remark can, in time, become a large tapestry.

This tricky brief challenged Margaret to find inspiration beyond her usual sources of objects, conversations, myth, and dreams. Consequently, the word ‘Verve’ proved to be elusive in suggesting an image. Working in traditional tapestry weaving techniques, rarely using texture, open warps or 3D elements the work had to be all about the image. After consulting the dictionary and discovering verve’s meanings of ‘spirit’, ‘vigour’ and ‘enthusiasm’, Margaret embraced these notions because she truly does have the verve to weave. It took some time to arrive at this four-word phrase and it should be noted that ‘seave’ is a lesser-known colloquial term for rushes or grasses. The background design was born from the process of weaving itself; each lozenge shape mirrors the individual bead of tapestry with darker edges that emulate its three-dimensional form and shading.