'We need to feed our souls through creativity'

Ros Stoddart is an artist whose work takes her ‘from field to studio’. She talks to Julia Thorley about how her art keeps her grounded.

Ros Stoddart. Image Paul Lapsley.

Ros Stoddart trained as a visual artist at Camberwell School of Arts. Now she works with textiles, beginning with the fleece from her own alpacas and using natural dyes made from plants she grows herself. If ‘eco-art’ is a discipline, then Ros is a true exponent of the craft. Her work incorporates hand-weaving, felting and stitching, creating beautiful wall hangings and other pieces.

“I began by making things to be used, such as scarves and cushions, but I’ve realised I’m not that commercially minded. Instead, each item I create is a unique piece of fine art.”

It’s a long, careful process that begins in early summer when her alpacas are sheared and the fleeces delivered to a dedicated mill. There it is washed and either combed to be used for felting or spun into yarn for weaving and sewing. Ros produces her own dyes, which is another long, but rewarding step in the process. Experimenting with colour is a key part of her work.

“My alpacas produce white fleece, which is ideal for dyeing. I only use natural dyes created from the flowers, seeds, leaves or the roots of the plants growing in my garden, either planted by me or that are naturally growing there. I love the alchemy of the process, which produces much softer shades than man-made dyes. I harvest onions, nettles, woad, acorns, Japanese indigo, coreopsis, ivy and comfrey that produce wonderful, earthy colours. I’m also growing madder, which I sowed in early 2022 but won’t be harvested until the end of this year. Then I shall have to dry the roots for two years before I can use them.”

Ros and her alpacas. Image Paul Lapsley

One of Ros’s current projects is a large wall hanging that she expects will take the rest of the year to finish.

“Yes, I have a long task ahead of me, but I become completely absorbed when I work. It’s almost a meditation.”

Ros’s earlier work has influenced her new pieces. They have the same aesthetic, but she has pared it down to reflect her core values. 

“I had a frugal childhood where wasting anything was never an option. We made the best of what we had. Now it’s a lifestyle choice. I try to work and live in a way that chimes with my care for and connection with the place I live, having as small an impact as possible on the environment.

“The world is out of kilter and I really feel there’s a crisis coming. We have become detached from our environment and don’t value the simple things, such as the growing process. I’m in a privileged position to be able to use my voice and my actions to promote the right and the good, through my way of living and making.

“We have to have hope, in spite of what’s going on within mainstream politics. We must all relearn how to give back and share. We mustn’t just take, we must also give. This is why I believe there is such value in community projects. We need to feed our souls through creativity.”

Paths of desire artwork. Image Paul Lapsley.

Although a self-professed introvert, Ros doesn’t work in isolation. She connects with other creatives here and across the world, seeking out new perspectives and getting back to the root and heart of what’s important.

“Sharing my work and the message is so rewarding. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that something I’ve done or said or created has made a positive difference to someone.”

You can see examples of Ros’s work on her website.