Iconic colours. Curated in yarn.

FTS Palettes - Sweeney

£28.00

From £22.00

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New Zealand Wool

8Ply Acrylic

Inspired by Spencer Sweeney's Lingering (2023), this palette celebrates colour with a distinctly contemporary attitude. Expressive, unexpected and full of personality, our five carefully selected shades take their cues from Sweeney's wonderfully energetic approach to painting.

We've translated the artwork's colour relationships into a curated yarn bundle, available in New Zealand wool or 8-ply acrylic.

Perfect for anyone who believes a little artistic spontaneity never hurt a textile project. Or at least never hurt one too badly.

The Palette

Inspired by Spencer Sweeney's Lingering (2023), our palette explores the expressive colour relationships and painterly character of this contemporary artwork. Five carefully selected colours, available in New Zealand wool and 8-ply acrylic.

About the artist

SPENCER SWEENEY

American · Contemporary Art / Neo-Expressionism

Spencer Sweeney is an American artist whose creative interests extend well beyond the traditional boundaries of painting. Artist, musician, DJ and enthusiastic participant in New York's downtown cultural scene, Sweeney has spent decades moving between galleries, nightclubs and experimental performance spaces. Apparently, having just one creative career wasn't quite enough.

His paintings are exuberant, expressive and often wonderfully unpredictable. Drawing inspiration from art history, popular culture and his experiences in music, he creates portraits, figures and abstract compositions filled with energetic brushstrokes and adventurous colour combinations. His artistic approach often embraces improvisation, allowing the painting to develop as he works.

Sweeney's work reminds us that creativity doesn't necessarily benefit from too many rules. Sometimes the most interesting results emerge when you abandon the original plan, turn up the music and see what happens.

The artwork

LINGERING (2023)

Spencer Sweeney's Lingering, created in 2023, is a painting made using oil paint, oil pastel and pigment stick on linen. These different materials contribute to the richly worked surface and expressive quality characteristic of his painting practice.

Sweeney's work frequently occupies the space between abstraction and representation, combining energetic gestures, layered marks and adventurous colour relationships. His paintings invite us to explore the surface rather than simply identify a subject, allowing unexpected details and relationships to emerge.

Our palette takes its inspiration from this painterly spirit, translating expressive colour into five carefully selected yarn shades. Think of it as a little artistic improvisation, neatly packaged and ready for your next project.

About FTS PALETTES

ART & POP CULTURE–INSPIRED PALETTES

Great art deserves great yarn. And so do great album covers. From Warhol's unapologetic pinks and Basquiat's wonderfully chaotic explosions of colour to the eye-popping graphics of music and popular culture, our palettes take their cues from some of the world's most recognisable artworks and visual icons.

We've carefully paired shades from our yarn collection to reinterpret these distinctive colour combinations. Think of them as little ready-made colour adventures, designed to bring a bit of art history (and the occasional rock 'n' roll rebellion) into your next textile project. No gallery admission required.

COLOUR CHOICES & ACCURACY

Matching the colours of a painting or album cover to yarn isn't quite as straightforward as you might think. Different fibres absorb dyes differently, and what looks gloriously vibrant in acrylic might appear a little softer and more muted in wool. Colourfastness, lighting and even your screen can also affect how colours look.

Then there's the small matter of choice. We have approximately 70 shades of New Zealand wool and 90 shades of 8-ply acrylic to play with, so some colours are simply easier to match in one fibre than another.

Our palettes represent our own carefully curated interpretations of the original artworks, using the closest and most interesting combinations available in our yarn collection. They're suggestions rather than exact reproductions, and you're more than welcome to mix, match and make them your own. After all, even the greatest artists weren't afraid to experiment with colour!

INDEPENDENT COLLECTION DISCLAIMER

FTS Palettes are independently created and curated by Fulham Textile Studio. Our colour palettes are inspired by artworks, album covers and popular culture. They are not official merchandise, and Fulham Textile Studio is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the artists, musicians, their estates or their respective rights holders.

FTS Palettes - Sweeney

From £28.00