Textile taxidermy with Jaki Bogg at Craven Arts Studios

Perhaps the most unusual workshop run by Jaki Bogg, a local textile artist who is based at Skipton’s Craven Arts Studios, this day-long ‘taxidermy’ class offers the chance to create a unique mounted animal head for your home; a stag, hare, elephant, cheetah, monkey, bear or whatever else you fancy.

You’ll build your head from the inside out, recycling paper and moulding it as you go, and use Abraham Moons’ woven fabrics plus a variety of threads stitched over and around your sculpture for the outer covering. All the materials are supplied, including back plate for mounting.

Jaki – who has a degree in Photography and Fine Art, a masters in Textiles and a PGCE – has taught art and design, fashion and textiles for over 30 years in schools and colleges. She now puts all that experience to further use via her workshops in Skipton and Limoges, France, saying: “My subject matter is now more specifically, confidence! I create short workshops that hopefully engage people but more importantly inspire and excite”.

A painter for many years, she now focuses primarily on handmade knitwear; a medium that’s enjoying something of a renaissance, shaking off its dated connotations to become a popular ‘fast fashion’ antidote for younger generations. Through her wool business HotButterYarns, meanwhile, she sells hand-dyed and hand-spun yarns at many local events: including Yarndale, Leeds Wool Festival, Reghed Knit & Stitch show, Woolfest, Kendal Wool Gathering and Harrogate Knitting & Stitching show.

Inspired to explore textiles further? Other workshops of Jaki’s span Latvian Mitts to Fair Isle beanies and boro; the traditional Japanese method of mending and extending the life of everyday textiles. All take place at Skipton’s Craven Arts Studios.