Caroline Homfray is an artist, musician and teacher with a commitment to helping people explore and grow their own potential, with her thoughtful and gentle approach. Caroline has also trained as a facilitator and life coach. With a lifelong interest in wellbeing, creativity and ways they can be enhanced, she has pulled these diverse experiences and skills together around her art, music and teaching practice, creating a holistic, grounded and nurturing approach. Her art practice explores drawing processes and capturing moments of life.
Caroline’s sketchbooks often feature strange Gothic creatures, bits and pieces of church architecture, plant forms, trees, things observed in daily life. She continues to love the abundance, oddness and beauty of the natural world and the man-made, exploring it with a playful approach to media, and founded on exploration of traditional principles: measuring, scale, proportion, tone, perspective and colour theory.
Inspiration and influences: the visionary work of Samuel Palmer, Blake and GF Watts; the drawings of John Minton, the light and colour of Turner, the subtlety and delicacy of Ruskin. Amongst living artists: the bold style and colour of Mark Hearld, the precision and delicacy of Juliette Aristides; the combination of paint and stitch by Annemeike Mein.
Selected Exhibitions.
2013: The Art of William Morris. Hand stitch, various techniques, interpreting a design by Nicola Jarvis for her exhibition at the Morris Gallery in Walthamstow, London.
2000-2007: A range of embroidered jewellery comprised of free-machined slips in rayon, linked with wire, pearls, crystals and seed beads. CLients included the national Tust and V& A enterprises, as below; also shown at various galleries and fairs, including:
Landmark Textiles Fair, Teddington, Greater London.
Knitting and Stitching Show, Alexandra Palace, London.
Craft in Focus, London and the South-East.
Selected Commissions
2020: Mural for private client. 2m x 2m, acrylic.
2015: Recreation of a military standard for the New Waterloo Despatch, in collaboration with Sarah Homfray.
Materials and techniques: silk, stencilled border pattern and lettering in gold paint, applied braid.
It was researched, planned and executed within a limited time. The finished piece was used in a re-enactment of the landing of the captured standards at Waterloo, and featured in newspapers and on television.
2015: Watts and Co, Westminster. Ecclesiastical embroidery for private client.
2011: New North London Synagogue, community tapestry of many individual panels brought together into one construction. With Sarah Homfray.
2010: National Trust Enterprises. Range of snow-drop themed embroidered jewellery sold at specific properties.
2004: V&A Enterprises. Range of embroidered jewellery for exhibition shop accompanying the Gothic: Art for England exhibition.
2000- 07: Various private commissions for embroidered jewellery.
Caroline Homfray 
Hi Caroline You probably don’t remember me but we worked together in Guildford Librarymany eons ago! You said when you left you might start dress making/sewing classes. Did you? I went on to be Manager at Horlsey – my goodness that was years ago. I still see and keepin touch with Susanne (she is a neighbour in Horlsey) Not everyone favourite but I got on OK with her. Had a look at your work – fabulous. The Great British Sewing Bee always inspires me to get the sewing machine out especially as I now have two little granddaughters. Cheers Jenny Rankin
Hi Jenny, yes I do remember you, good to hear from you. I do teach embroidery, and art now, as you will see on my website. I’m missing the library service at the moment – my ready supply of book browsing! Pleased to say online teaching is working out well. Enjoy sewing for your granddaughters, as well as your self.