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Riverside Barn in Walton-upon Thames, recently hosted an Arts and Crafts exhibition with a special focus on wellbeing, sharing the restorative benefits of using a creative outlet to help recover from the Covid years, and the long-lasting impact felt by so many people in diverse ways. The local exhibitors ran workshops on recycling, crochet, and on wellbeing, which were aimed at promoting calm amid the chaos of our busy lives, moving closer to nature, and feeling energised, plus ingenious ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. The exhibition provided much needed thought-provoking ideas amid the current cost-of-living crisis.

The exhibition featured three very different artists, two textile artists, and one mixed media, including our ßÙßÇÂþ»­ Adult Learning Textile Artist and tutor Isabel Gomes.

Isabel's work focussed on her passion for sustainability and recycling, particularly of denim, shirts, and other compatible and complimentary textiles. Isabel, who specialises in soft furnishings and clothes making had made a large variety of bags, cushions, boxes, clothes, and wall art; she has used embroidery techniques such as Sachiko Japanese embroidery to enhance some of her collection.