British artist and textile designer
I am an artist and designer based in Hampshire, England. I live and work by the sea in Gosport, very close to the historic town of Portsmouth. My love affair with all things arty began as a child, and eventually led me to study at the University of the Arts in Farnham, Surrey in the mid 1980s. Bizarrely, I chose not to continue with my art and went on to join the Royal Navy spending 12 years serving in the UK and overseas but every now and then my passion to create kept knocking and I eventually returned to study textile design at Winchester School of Art, graduating at 40 years old! In between my 2 visits to art school I did many creative things, from designing and making bridalwear and ball gowns, designing and painting theatre scenery, to interior design to name but a few but finally found a medium that challenged me.... constructed textiles.
I graduated from Winchester in 2006 with an honours degree in woven textiles and set up a business designing and making hand woven scarves and home accessories under my own label Tracy Evans, selling through independent boutiques and high end makers fairs. Then in 2012 I went into partnership with a friend and together we built our own brand of homewares, gifts and stationery under our label Port and Lemon. In 2019 the partnership ended and I became sole owner of the company where I am continuing to work at moving the business forward with new designs and growing my list of stockists, which is now approximately 60 independent shops and galleries around the UK and overseas.
My art style is very different to the design work I do at the Port and Lemon studio which is bold and graphic. I have always been a fan of mixed media and my artwork is reflective of this. I love playing with lots of creative styles and mediums, I use a lot of collage in my work, as well as a broad range of mark making and print techniques including block print, heat transfer, monoprint and sometimes stitch.
The pieces are decorative and sophisticated in colour and appeal to those who are more interested in my interpretation of the subject rather than a literal translation. I like to produce affordable artwork so my shop has both original artwork, high quality prints which are all signed personally and also a range of greetings cards.
I often work to commission and happy to discuss your requirements without obligation.