Stacey Hilton

This body of work is heavily influenced by my Gypsy/Traveller heritage and the stories and tales told by my Gran. Growing up with a Traveller background and being surrounded by the culture is something that continually influences my art practice and is the main focus of my final degree show work. Travellers are very family-oriented and the decision to create my own Traveller camp was due to the strong sense of home that comes from sitting around the fire eating, exchanging stories, and listening to music. The bow tent is a traditional Traveller structure in which to sleep and by creating my own patchwork canvas cover enriched with my own family history it combines both the traditional art of tent-making and the strong sense of family heritage depicted within the pictures. Chitties are placed over the fire to suspend pots and kettles from and the ones displayed are over 100 years old, passed down over 5 generations so are a perfect piece of family history to be added to my display. The kettle has been passed down to my gran which I have covered in gold details to match that of a traditional Traveller wagon along with crockery which is detailed with Scottish scenery to give a sense of place. Travelling is a big part of the lifestyle and is depicted within my display through the Scottish panoramic paintings enhanced with Traveller stories woven throughout the landscapes.