Iona Mackenzie Laycock

Biography
Iona has always loved working with fabrics and the nearest thing to a textile A Level was Theatre Design, which involved designing the costumes for plays. She then took a year out and travelled around Greece painting, and her love of the sea can still be found in her work today.

On returning to Guildford she attended Epsom Art College to Study a Foundation year and then went on to get a Degree in Textile Design from Leeds University. She won a scholarship from the Textile Institute to further her studies at Huddersfield Polytechnic and from there she worked in the Textile Industry in Yorkshire. On moving back down to Guildford, Iona found a part-time job and started to develop her own work.
Description of work.
Iona developed her technique by looking at the land and seascapes of the north coast of Scotland, rich in minerals, textures and colour which are accentuated by the clarity of light, it was then Iona started to experiment with materials to try and create the atmospheric landscapes.

"I combine wool fibres and fabrics painted with pearlescent paint; I build up layer upon layer and then melt through sections to create rich textures."
As she walked her dog on the Surrey Hills, Iona was inspired by the landscape and especially the effects of the climate such as April showers - "the rain was moving over the dark hills in the distance and the sun shone on the hills in the foreground making them glisten."

This was the beginning of the Surrey Hills series and as the seasons change Iona finds new inspiration.

Another big influence in Iona's work came from a visit to New Zealand and her New Zealand work featured in her first London solo Exhibition at New Zealand House.
Iona has also developed a range of jewellery which is like miniature pieces of artwork, as each piece is hand painted.

Please bear in mind that the range of stock changes daily, and inclusion of a picture on this site does not mean the item is necessarily in stock .

Guildford House Gallery
155 High Street
Guildford
Surrey
GU1 3AJ
Tel: 01483 444740
Fax: 01483 458563
Email: guildfordhouse@guildford.gov.uk