My name is JANE SANDERS and I am a textile artist. I do not have a traditional art studio; instead, I create all my pictures, using a sewing machine in my kitchen. I am used to working in a small space. Sometimes it can feel a bit cramped and chaotic, and this is not helped by my giant companion… FRED.
Fred is an enormous attention-seeking greyhound. He has been living with me for the last five years, during which time he has eaten cotton reels, pieces of fabric, a tray of plastic bobbins and an innumerable amount of pencils.
After the demise of my previous old dog, I was looking for a small replacement. Something along the lines of a Scottie or a little terrier; so, it is still a source of wonder as to how this long-legged idiot shoehorned himself into my life!
In a nutshell, I answered an advert where a whippet puppy needed rehoming, our eyes met, and I instantly fell in love with this nervy, skinny little scrap of a dog. The trouble was, he would not stop growing, and eventually ended up being a huge greyhound.
I must say, having Fred as an artist’s companion is never boring. A key part of my work is showing people the making process online, and he is extremely good at photobombing most pictures. A lot of my Instagram followers seem almost as enamored with Fred as they are with my art. In recent times I have been using Zoom at lot more, and he is also adept at sticking his big black nose just into camera shot.
Despite the pandemonium he causes, I am still glad I adopted him. He is good company, and there is nothing I enjoy more, after hours of intricate stitching, than a good long walk with him to clear my brain out. There is also the point that no one else would put up with his mischief!
