Marilyn Rathbone: Going for the Gold in textile art

Imagine tackling your next textile art project as an athlete would. Setting daily, weekly and monthly goals. Tracking your progress in meeting those goals. Researching and analysing what does and does not work.

That’s exactly the challenge textile artist Marilyn Rathbone undertook when the Olympics came to London in 2012. She decided to literally “train” for a 100-metre dash in the most unexpected and creative way an artist could. And she learned as much about herself as she did her art.

This article showcases Marilyn’s creative process that combines research with technique. You’ll learn how she uses seemingly “ordinary” materials and just a handful of “simple” techniques to create extraordinary and compelling works of art.

You’ll also learn about her more recent exploration into illustrating mathematics. Both her stories of the process and understanding of the concepts will surprise and delight.