Karen Nicol

K A R EN NI C OL

Karen Nicol is a well known mixed media and embroidery artist and designer.

For many years she has created fashion textiles for clients such as Alexander Mcqueen, Chloe, Chanel and Givenchy and she has designed interior fabrics and products for, amongst others, Wild at Heart, Designers Guild, the King of Qatar, and the Pope.

Since 2010 Karen has worked as an artist making her embroidered and sculptured animals and has exhibited her work in solo shows and fairs across the world.

‘Couture Creatures’ is her 2016 collection of hand drawn animals embellished with Karen's specially created, bespoke, haute couture skins which range from Napoleonic polar bears to jewel encrusted deer and fringed and sequined zebras.

Karen studied at the Royal College of Art where she later became Senior Lecturer, Research Fellow and Visiting Professor on the textiles masters degree for over 19 years and is an Honorary Fellow.

In 2015 she was made a Royal Designer for industry by the R.S.A.

FRONT COVER:

Nanuq Mixed Media 100 x 130 cms £ 7,500.00

CRICKET FINE ART REQUESTS THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY AT THE PRIVATE VIEW OF AN EXHIBITION BY

K AREN NICOL ‘Couture Creatures’ at 2 Park Walk, London, SW10 0AD Tuesday 14th June 2016 6.00pm – 8.00pm The exhibition continues until 25th June 2016.

Paintings are for sale on receipt of the catalogue.

The entire exhibition can be viewed at www.cricketfineart.co.uk 2 Park Walk Chelsea London SW10 0AD Tel: 020 7352 2733 Mobile: 07778 568 367 email: info@cricketfineart.co.uk website: www.cricketfineart.co.uk

The Pelican Mixed Media 106 x 67 cms £ 4,500.00

2

This One’s Couture Mixed Media 80 x 90 cms £ 3,500.00

3

A Good Deed is Never Wasted Mixed Media 100 x 146 cms £ 7,500.00

4

Treasure Trove Mixed Media 66 x 86 cms £ 3,500.00

5

Prinze of Chintz Mixed Media 91 x 72 cms £ 4,500.00

6

Join the Dots Mixed Media 92 x 54 cms £ 3,500.00

7

Feature Film Mixed Media 118 x 98 cms £ 6,500.00

8

Blue Eyed Boy Mixed Media 74 x 100 cms £ 4,500.00

9

Dazzle Mixed Media 137 x 100 cms £ 7,500.00

10

Dear Mixed Media 80 x 90 cms £ 3,500.00

11

Well Dressed Lobster Mixed Media 88 x 77 cms £ 3,000.00

12

Dinner Date Mixed Media 170 x 90 cms £ 7,500.00

13

Autumn Fox Mixed Media 85 x 85 cms £ 3,600.00

14

Bear Headed Mixed Media 110 x 95 cms £ 4,500.00

15

World Class Mixed Media 100 x 75 cms £ 4,500.00

16

Douglas Mixed Media 65 x 85 cms £ 3,500.00

17

Cheeky Monkey Mixed Media 90 x 60 cms £ 3,500.00

18

Little Mouse Mixed Media 61 x 84.5 cms £ 2,000.00

19

Thread Bear Mixed Media 170 x 95 cms £ 7,500.00

20

The Irish Singer “I embroider on a hand governed industrial ‘Irish Singer’ embroidery machine. I think mine is at least 50 years old and no computers are involved. The machine has no presser foot or feeder teeth, it just has a single free needle, totally unprotected.

I can draw very freely with it, but I am moving the ‘paper’ rather than the ‘pencil’. It has a knee pedal that fluidly moves the stitch from a straight stitch to a satin stitch which at its widest is about 1.5 cm.

My fingers are very near the needle as I turn the fabric under it to achieve the marks. This creates the opportunity to draw on the fabric with an immediacy impossible by any other means and as my fingers are so close to the needle I can also feed in other yarns and fabrics.

It’s quite a practiced skill and there are not many people left in the United Kingdom who can do it with any control as everyone moves over to computer embroidery machines.

These need forward planning and digitizing so the spontaneity is sometimes lost.

The ‘Irish Singer’ machine provides a unique rich and sensuous mark making tool.”

Karen Nicol

CRICKET FINE ART

CRICKET FINE ART 2 Park Walk Chelsea London SW10 0AD Tel: 020 7352 2733 Mobile: 07778 568 367 email: info@cricketfineart.co.uk website: www.cricketfineart.co.uk