ASHFORD ARTIST OF THE MONTH – FEB 23 – LAUREN HALSALL

Lauren Halsall is a self-taught fibre artist from the northwest of England. After graduating with a degree in animation from Brighton in 2015, she returned to her home region to focus on fibre art. She began with crochet, later discovering hand-spinning through a failed dyeing experiment, and developed a passion for creating art yarns.

Her approach is deeply intuitive, inspired by nature, colours, textures, ethnic textile traditions, and the small details of everyday life. Her favourite tools include the Ashford e-Spinner Super Jumbo, hand carders, and a rigid heddle loom.

As a stay-at-home mother, Lauren balances family life and creativity. She is working on developing her small craft business, *Rooted Fibres*, and is preparing to launch her website to sell her yarns and fibre batts, as well as — soon — her knitting patterns. She encourages aspiring artists not to compare themselves to others, to create with spontaneity, and to embrace imperfections.