Spinning a Yarn

An illustrated account of the silkmoth’s journey from egg to thread. Visit the news page to see where the exhibition is currently on show

The arrival through the post of a small box of eggs in May 2006 defined the beginning of this project to document the lifecycle of the silkworm.

I had never actually seen, let alone bred silkworms, but was keen to find out more about these fascinating insects that play such an intriguing role in the textile industry.

For me, drawing is the best way of exploring a subject, and keeping a visual diary of the project enabled me to record the metamorphic process as it happened from beginning to end, from egg to thread.

All the drawing was done directly from observation, sometimes using a magnifying glass to get a closer look.

Supported by The Arts Council of Wales.