These two pieces, inspired by a workshop led by Nerissa Cargill Thompson, depict ocean life (my abstract imaginary take on it) and there's lot of texture in them.
I used paint to make marks on the base fabric, and a lot of recycled fabrics as appliqué and Suffolk puffs, as well as some old lace, ironed plastic netting, couched wool thread, some beads and a fair amount of stitching.
Both pieces will be mounted onto 1 canvas, next to one another. Perhaps part of a future exhibition?
This abstract piece is inspired by a picture of a common blue butterfly on a daisy, hence the name. I chose the materials and colours to match, giving it a cheerful, uplifting energy.
Working from photographs, a technique gleaned from a workshop by Hannah Lamb, is very freeing, pushing me to venture beyond the colours I habitually go for. more of this on the way, no doubt!
The poem “Being but Men” by Dylan Thomas is a real favourite of mine. It describes the magic of childhood and how we lose a lot of that growing up.
This piece is a personal visual interpretation of that poem using textiles, which took me a considerable time to complete. I used a lot of stitches, beads, small pieces of fabric, all kinds of odds and ends. Some of those have real meaning, like a button of an old family sofa, for instance, or the clapper of a small ceramic bell that broke.
For now, this is my favourite piece. I loved every hour I worked on it, creating a world of abstract but tangible magic. Making something like this is like meditation more than anything.
These are samplers of variations on drawn thread work and pulled work, a contemporary version of traditional embroidery techniques. They are part an ongoing project and were first made for a workshop by Tracy A Franklin (another textileartist.org workshop).
I love the result here, it all looks so lovely, though the work of making itself does rather strain your eyes!
This collage got made while I was reading “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, what a wonderful book! I tried to capture the enchanting story, the magic of nature and of place, using fabric, paint, paper, transferred images and stitching. The atmosphere is calm due to the muted colours, but at the same time it’s buzzing with life, adventure, and possibilities.
The piece grew organically during the reading process, which I love. I think I will try this with other favourite books; it’s an intriguing way to make!
I had a lot of fun with this piece I made for a workshop by Mirjam Gielen. Blanket stitch is used to create organic structures. By manipulating the stitches and carefully choosing the colours, it can almost feel like these creatures are as natural as actual microscopic sea life. I added some beads and a piece of sea glass and used satin stitch and stem stitch to complete the piece.
This is a portrait of my mum, always with her mug of coffee, created for a workshop led by Susie Vickery at Textileartist.org.
I'm more of a landscape or collage person, really, so this kind of work rather takes me out of my comfort zone, and certainly doens't come easy. I'm glad to have accepted the challenge, though, having learned so much about stitching for portraits; also not unhappy with the result.
"Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile", Paul Simon sings on "The only living boy in New York" : there's no idea more calming, I think.
I imagined this happy feeling in mixed media, using textile, paper, paint, yarn, thread, beads, crayons, lots of hand stitching, machine stitching and even real flower petals. The bold warm colours evoke a real zest for life.
Spring, bring it on!!
An abstract piece, which tells the story of all the different kinds of encounters we have in our lifetime, easy ones, lovely ones, difficult ones, interesting ones, the encounters that teach us, the encounters that haunt us, the encounters that encourage us, support us, love us...
I used a lot of different types of stitch and also some beads. I have been working on this piece on and off for several years. It was kind of always present in the background. Because it has accompanied me for such a long time, it has a special place in my heart.
One wonderful afternoon last year two of my lovely friends introduced me into the magical world of eco dyeing.
Eco dyeing is a form of natural dyeing where the colours of natural dyes from plant materials are transferred to fabric by using steam.
I thought the process fascinating and the result was really beautiful!
They kindly gave me the fabric we created that afternoon. I was determined to put it to good use and made into a poem art piece (it is rather big!).
I added a lot of subtle stitching, to give it more balance and to emphasize some parts. And onto it I embroidered a poem by Emily Brontë which I think fits really well with the atmosphere of the piece.
I'm very happy with the outcome : thanks again friends!
I stretched the piece over a canvas (80 x 80):
Strictly speaking this piece is a collaboration with my 5 year old son (now 27). My husband and I were clearing the attic and found this paper lantern our son made, all torn and discoloured. I still recognised the love he put into it and remembered how proud he was, coming home from school with his lantern.
I decided to use the thin paper part that was not torn in a piece on his leaving home.
I glued the paper on a piece of fabric and added stitching, drawing in pencil, a poem (unreadable, which is as intended), and muted or highlighted some parts of the coloured pieces. I also added the suitcase, falling as it were out of the picure.
It has become a meaningful and emotional work to me, in which his childhood and the present time, his art and mine, his energy and my feelings all come together. A bittersweet, but mostly sweet and actually very happy piece, hanging in our living room.
Here's a force to be reckoned with : the menopausal woman, full of plans, energy and wisdom! There, I said it and that's what this piece is all about!
I knit the background from Rowan wool and felted the fabric in the washing machine. This way it feels sturdy and slighlty carpet-like.
The powerful woman and the ladder are embroidered onto the background, and I added fairy lights (off course!). It is quite a big wall hanging which I installed in our hallway: very happy with it!
This is my response to the second workshop I did with Hanny Newton : an abstract piece of 3 circles with thread and beads.
Best wishes to you all for 2023!
My wishes are accompanied by this embroidered piece, which shows four seasons in one day on this planet, full of luscious greenery and delicious clear water.
The design is my own, inspired by a workshop led by Livia Papiernik. It’s a relatively small piece, 20 cm x 20 cm, but it required a lot of stitching!
I used silk thread, Jamieson & Smith wool yarn and all kinds of other thread, with various stitches and beads, mostly recycled, some of which I made myself.
Let’s hope for a lovely and inspiring new year!!
The summer of '22 was extremely hot in Europe and I often find myself worrying about the state of our environment. That anxiety I felt and the workshop I did with Natalya Khorover were the inspiration for this piece. It's a textile collage with embroidery, for which I used some pieces of recycled sari, which give the work its vibrant colours. The stitched words are part of a lullaby ("Goodnight my angel, close your eyes. And save these questions for another day"). Whether to see the words as soothing or as cynical does depend on the mood I'm in, I guess.
Couching is an embroidery technique in which you lay yarn or other materials across the surface of a ground fabric, then fasten it in place with small stitches.
The possibilities are endless when you start thinking about incorporating this technique in your work and wat kind of thread, cord, objects you can attach to it in this way!
This is the sampler I made for a workshop led by Hanny Newton (she has the most wonderful contemporary approach to goldwork embroidery!) :
This is my take on a workshop led by Alice Fox (an artist who works with found, gathered and grown materials) :
Via a Textile Artist.org workshop I learned a great deal about photobroderie from the photographer Liz Jeary.
I stitched on my own photographs and used simple back stitch lines, matching the thread colours with the ones on the photo.
Lots of interesting ideas emerge from a workshop like this!
Inspired by the work of Sharon Peoples, I used the technique of random cross stitch to recreate the work "Ceci n'est pas un pipe" by the Belgian artist René Magritte.
the fabric is wrapped around a mount board and I also used some wadding to give the piece some depth.
It fits neatly in the tin in which it is presented.
I hope to have added to the joke the artist intended.
This is the work I made for the workshop by Jean Rill-Alberto.
The abstract design of geometric forms is first drawn, then stitched, onto paper. Some shapes I coloured in. It's fascinating to work with abstract shapes and to see what happens if you combine them, or highlight some of them. Also the stitching on paper is a real favourite of mine!
