Masterclass Britta Ankenbauer Working in series 1

A series is more than one piece. In this course you’ll develop your own beautiful textile pieces by using and combining different techniques such as printing, stencils, easy silkscreen techniques. We are exploring colour, shapes and lines, texture and different formats. We make the colours “sing” together and the shapes are going to play a balancing act. By working in series you’ll have the opportunity to express more than one aspect of your ideas and inspiration.

Therefore bring your own inspiration, photos, poetry, memories etc. and we are going to work playfully and experimentally with the compositional design elements. Have fun to get a beautifully balanced and well composed series of textiles at the end of the week. We are going to use different art materials to translate our inspiration into something beautiful. That brings a lot of joy and freedom for you to work, and probably some paint on your fingers as well...

In this week, you’ll learn how to approach your own ideas. You’ll find out which degree of abstraction you like and how to push your comfort zone to develop your own style a little further to get some “Wow”- effects.

First, we discuss the different ways of making a series. I will show you some methods and processes that fit into your own  way of seeing the world. And of course, you’ll get tips and tricks. Later in the week we ‘ll bring our studies into a sampling book and in some final pieces as your personal series.

Let’s have fun with finding out, how… This will be a week full of exploration and wonder.
This masterclass also has a follow-up session planned for the fall of 2025.

Artist statement Britta:

Textile art is poetry, storytelling, and combination

I love telling stories and asking questions.
Embarking on a journey of exploration with tactile materials, placing them in intriguing new contexts, and transforming the material into art—this is my way of engaging artistically.
Creating art happens primarily in my studio, working with textiles, paper, and occasionally in combination with other natural materials.

I favor "slow, rounded" processes. I often begin with raw materials, followed by dyeing, printing, painting wool and fabrics, spinning or weaving, sewing together, taking apart again (deconstruction), and reshaping. The subsequent embroidery serves as the integrating factor, bringing everything together: lines, surfaces, connections, and cohesion.

I’ve always been fascinated by mixed forms (mixed media). In relation to textile art, I explore how multiple textile techniques can be integrated into a single work without overpowering one another. It’s a kind of dialogue between traditions that have walked separate paths for centuries.
In my textile works, I strive to create new forms of "mixed tapestry" and "art quilts," which, in essence, represent themes of integration and communication. In doing so, I draw on both historical and contemporary contexts in my textile art.

My works closely resemble collages yet remain distinct.