For Open Studio times 2026 Click Here

Follow Jan on Instagram  

Launching the Ark

A long, quiet winter is now behind me and all the happy little daffodil heads are nodding away either side of the drive to the house.  Spring is here!  Seeds are sown!  Showery weather is back!

So this is the perfect time to launch Ark, a collection of work full of boats, birds and beasts (in a variety of unlikely combinations).  After making the work, I have only a week left to clear the cobwebs and the clutter from the studio in order to turn it into a temporary exhibition space.  But, it is amazing what a lick of white paint and some new spotlights will do.

On show will be textile wall hangings, framed textile collage, original textile and paper collage (mounted, but not framed, and selling at very attractive prices), hand made books, greeting cards and the odd experimental objet d’art.  And I have published a new book to accompany this show.  Ark, the book, features images of the key pieces of art work from this collection, along with some of my poetry and the occasional  photograph of Coigach and Assynt, my local patch of land and sea.

Ark, the exhibition, runs from Wednesday 25^th of March until Wednesday 8^th of April, 10 am until 4 pm each day.  If you have not visited my studio before, you can find directions on the Open Studio page of the website. I hope some of you will manage to come along to see the display and to buy a copy of the book.

If you cannot visit, but would like to experience the essence of the work, then you can buy a copy of Ark, the book, online by visiting the Prints and Publications page of the website. 

Co-incidentally, my long-time and occasional collaborator, Mairearad Green, has a new body of work on exhibition at an talla solais, in Ullapool.  Tìm (the Gaelic word for ‘time’, and which is pronounced ‘cheem’) runs from 27^th March until 17^th May.  This collection of bold and expressive paintings is accompanied by a new album of mesmeric music, also called Tìm, and I am delighted to have made a small contribution to the lyrics.  To buy the album and to find out more about this exciting project, visit Mairearad’s website here.

Well, this is a busy spring for me, since the Ark exhibition is quickly followed by a creative retreat, also running from my studio.  Then, for the rest of the spring and throughout summer, life takes on a more leisurely pace with, generally speaking, my studio open to visitors on Wednesdays until October (always best to check the up-to-date times via the website if travelling from afar).  Other than that, I plan on living an adventuresome life in 2026, as much as I can.

I wish you all the energy and optimism that comes with the spring solstice.

Jan

The Ghostly Stag

Dear All,

I still keep an A5 desk diary, a habit I started well over thirty years ago, back in the days when I was a school teacher.  As the years have gone by, these diaries have been crammed full of exciting events, serious appointments, difficult deadlines and hopeful dreams.  So, at this quiet time of the year, I am reflecting on how my times have changed.  I now leave many more ‘empty’ pages in the diary, hoping for a more freestyle and creative journey through the year.

But we all need at least a little structure in life, so I have made some plans to share with you.  The Ark exhibition, postponed from the end of last year, will now take place around Easter time.  And I will hold a second studio exhibition at the other end of 2026, in the form of a Winter Solstice Sale.  Other than that, the studio will only be open by appointment, so that I can concentrate on making work for my exhibition in Cumbria next year.

But back to my preparations for Ark.  I will be busy over the next couple of months, finishing off all the work on this theme that was started last year.  And, just as I did for Luna, I am putting together a selection of words and images for a wee book to accompany the exhibition.  I enjoy the creative part of this process, but I find the technology involved in desktop publishing very challenging.  Luckily for me, I have Chelsea Frew – artist and illustrator – to keep me right.

And whilst I am on the theme of publication, I thought that now would be a good time to remind you of my first book – Earthworks.  If you don’t yet have a copy, for the month of January I am selling it at a reduced price of £30 (incl P&P).  The normal price is £42 (incl P&P).  If you missed it first time around, now would be a good time to buy.

So, it is Happy New Year from me and The Ghostly Stag (available from the online textile shop).  We are knee-deep in snow here in Elphin.  Time for me to coorie in and do a bit of dreaming about the possibilities of 2026.

All the best,

Jan

Open Studio 2026

Open Studio hours for 2026 are as follows:

Ark (Easter Exhibition): Wednesday 25th March - Wednesday 8th April, 10 am until 4 pm, daily.

then most Wednesdays from April  22nd until October. 

(Please check this website for confirmation of current opening times before travelling far to visit)

Winter Solstice Sale: Saturday 21st November - Sunday 6th December, 11 am until 3 pm, daily. 

All other visits to the studio are by appointment only. Please email Jan  to arrange a time that suits you.

See the Open Studio page for more details.

Earthworks Move into Print

At long last the book version of the Earthworks project is complete!  And as I leaf through the pages of the book, I feel the warm glow of a job well done, thanks to the solid support of Chelsea Frew (designer) and Ricky Frew (photographer).

This beautiful, high-quality art book contains over a hundred pages of images and words celebrating the intricate workings of the earth, as experienced through the eyes - and hands - of textile and mixed media artist Jan Kilpatrick.  Striking photography by Ricky Frew illustrates the landscape that both inspires Jan’s work and provides the materials from which the work is made.  The nature-led processes involved in the making are also recorded through photography, along with a selection of the finished textile and poetry works that emerged from this immersive project. It is a visual feast.

Earthworks, the book, is a textile-covered, hardback volume, almost A4 in size.  It is limited to an edition of 500 signed copies and was launched on the 28th of May 2023.  It is only available through the artist’s website.  To make an advance order, please click here.

March 2023 

An Open Field

Well, that’s it folks! I’ve finished my last week of proper teaching. No more endless ‘To Do’ lists or lengthy lesson plans, just a wide open field of possibilities for this next stage of my life. Yikes!

Talking about fields: the last course was called A Field of Stitches, and with me were a great group of people with whom to end my teaching career. To get a flavour of our adventures, have a look at the Field of Stitches page of the website.

Another reason for writing to you is to remind you that I am taking part in a group textile exhibition at Studio 44 Gallery in Largs. The range and juxtaposition of works on display is exciting to see, so do go along if you can. The exhibition runs until 6th July, Tuesday - Saturday, 11 am - 5 pm.

So, I am entering this summer with an open mind and an open heart, wondering how it will shape up. I will likely make some small work and, in fact, a few new pieces are already on the online shop of my website, if you want to look. And then, eventually, I will start thinking about the next exhibition, which will be in the winter, at my own studio.

But there is no hurry for any of that. Let the summer begin!

Happy Summer Solstice, 2025.

Jan   

To receive a quarterly update on new courses and events please subscribe below.