Local artist Fiona Evans has seen her work unveiled at a Devon church.

Fiona was commissioned by St Michael’s church in Beer - where she runs the Seriously Occasional Singers - to provide a two-sided hanging to hang above a newly-created children’s area in the church and to provide the the backdrop to a newly-created chapel.

Each side of the commission was unveiled in two separate services and they have both been received with high praise. The contemplative woodland side is now the backdrop to a newly-created chapel area and a number of those who saw it were moved to tears by the atmosphere it creates.

The other side which hangs above the newly-created children’s area is bright and includes the famous Beer lugger boats with their red sails, the sea, the sun, felted pebbles which were made in conjunction with the children from Beer school and adults from the village.

Fiona has incorporated patterns from the church to act as a visual treasure hunt for the children.

The felted hanging is 2m wide by 1.25m high and Fiona has used a number of techniques. Wet, needle and nuno felting, machine embroidery, hand embroidery, sashiko embroidery, embroidery onto soluble paper, paper yarn, jute, hessian, raffia, hemp, cotton and velvet. On the woodland side Fiona has used the natural colours to be found in sheep fleece and the other textures. Fiona also dyed some wool neaps with turmeric, onion skins and coffee and tea.

Fiona now lives in Crickadarn near Builth Wells and as well as her textile work runs the Hay-on-Wye Community Choir. For this commission Fiona was awarded an Arts Council Grant.