Makers Dozen - Q & A with Alison Dupernex

Welcome to the Makers Dozen. We ask a Guild member a dozen quickfire questions about their life as a maker.

Alison Dupernex, makes knitted textiles and has a fascination for exploring the interaction and juxtaposition of colour.

Describe your work in 3 words

Art to wear

How long have you been a maker?

45 years

What’s the best part of your process?

I do not underestimate how lucky I am to have been a maker most of my working life. Sitting down at my machine and working out a new design, mixing colours and yarns and stitches to create the fabric I have in my minds eye is always exhilarating. I use slip stitch very often in my work and to watch the colours react against each other, ducking under and leaping over each other is enthusing.

What’s the worst part of your process?

I have written several books and the process can be enjoyable or excruciating. Editors who require you to fit into an exact format which stymies any form of creativity and does not show the work in a good light can be hard to cope with. I have just turned down the ‘opportunity’ to write another book for this reason.

Do you have a favourite book about your craft?

The Nature and Art of Workmanship by David Pye
This little book was published in 1968 by a furniture maker and had a profound effect on my life as a maker. The author encourages risk taking to move your practice forward, if you are not doing this you are moving backwards. If you can intervene at any moment ie change a colour, change a stitch, change a shape this can be truly said to be handmade.

What are you reading?

The Scottish Colourists by Roger Billcliffe
Bought in a charity bookshop an excellent source of art books. I tend not to read fiction but devour biographies of artists lives. Gwen John by Sue Row was a revelation and like having a friend to come and stay for a while.

What’s your favourite film?

I don’t have a favourite film but anything with humour and not too serious. I am looking forward to Paddington 3. I will also watch endless Agatha Christie, where people seem to die without getting hurt.

What do you listen to in your studio?

I don’t often listen to anything, but if I do its always Radio 3. The machine can be noisy, imagine an old washboard, music works well as background company.

What one thing would improve your life as a maker?

Losing my hearing over the years has proved challenging. My work is about colour, and always when observing scenes, still life etc, your senses come into play. A colour can be flagged up by a sound and enriches it. Although I have ‘mechanical ears’ I still miss about sixty percent of sound, people talking, plays, meetings, documentaries and this also changes your relationship with friends and family. All these experiences play into my practice and it is a journey I am on attempting to reconcile this with patience and good humour.

What’s the best piece of advice you have received?

I received this advice years ago from another knitter Carrie White and I have always adhered to it. It is better to offset a pattern than stack it up in a straight line. Along with this was, add repeats in three. It has proved sound advice as it adds interest and visual texture.

What’s the worst thing you can say to a maker?

This is particular to my craft but I suspect other makers have their own variations.
‘I have a long haired cat/dog and have lots of combings, can you knit it into a cardigan. The answer is always the same!

Life as a maker can be challenging, would you do it all again?

Yes, it is a way of life, it feeds your soul. Everything I think, do and say feeds into my work and I love every minute of it. Problem solving, having control, being diverse in many fields, meeting other makers, you know you will be in good company.

Thank you Alison!

You will find a selection of Alison's work in our shop and online.