Page 7 - Winter Issue

Your artistic journey spans over three decades. the focus of attention. The ideal way is to balance the
Can you share how your approach has evolved composition with both media, the background
over the years, particularly as you blended painting provides the ambience and emotive feel, and
watercolor with embroidery? the enhancement with embroidery is applied for
Over the three decades of artistic development, I texture and intricate detail where it is needed.
found my approach changed as I became more You mention wanting to "stir an awareness of
proficient and at ease with the principal basic nature’s grandeur" and its hidden qualities.
techniques of both embroidery and mixed media. The How do you capture these often-overlooked
water colour washes are applied very spontaneously, elements of the environment in your artwork?
my palette stronger in contrast and value and the I particularly love wild and abandoned landscapes,
embroidery more refined and complex. The result of secretive pockets of nature where one has to look
traveling and exhibiting internationally opened my closely and observe nature’s miracles. To capture
eyes to further progress in my presentation and skill these areas in painting, I take part in art residencies
in achieving a polished finish. Expertise and practice or seek out in nature the elements that stir curiosity
helped with develop a personal style and overcome and wonder. It may be the play of light on moving
the technical problems encountered. The variety of water, the texture of the weather-beaten rock, a
new threads on the market also brought new effects grouping of flowers that have a remarkable shape or
to experiment with. form, or an array of striking colors. Nature’s
The Victorian postcard was a pivotal grandeur is forever changing a fleeting moment, and
inspiration for you. Could you tell us more an ephemeral vision.
about how it sparked your interest in With your work involving both machine and
combining painting and embroidery, and how hand embroidery, how do you decide which
you revived this 18th-century technique for aspects of a piece require the precision of
contemporary audiences? machine embroidery versus the personal touch
After six years of university education, armed with an of handwork?
arts degree in textiles, I spent ten years searching for Most of my art entails using machine embroidery
my voice and expression, particularly combining the because it can express direction and flow of line,
skills I acquired in both painting and in textiles. The build exciting texture, and add the final detail which
idea of marrying embroidery with painting came needs more definition. I occasionally employ hand
from my mother’s collection of postcards: I just loved embroidery when the thread is especially delicate
the three-dimensional effect of the embroidery such as hologram thread, or the thread is too thick
compared to the painted background. Stitching on and a stronger line is asked for.
paper was unusual and as far as I knew, not known What do you hope viewers feel when they
until I researched that it was practiced in the 18th engage with your art, and how do you think art
century. The challenge of presenting this combo into can serve as a vehicle for healing?
a contemporary practice was not easy. I gave up Having taken part in many solo shows, I have
many times but experimented with different papers personally experienced the power of art as an
and threads. I was aiming for something original and emotive and healing force. The feedback and
beautiful with a luxurious feel to the final art pieces. responses from these shows in the visitor’s book
Your work masterfully blends intricate indicate how engaged they are. From youngsters to
embroidery with watercolor, adding depth and the elderly, their reactions are similar. For example,
texture. How do you balance the delicate an elegant lady looked around with her mouth wide
interplay between the threads and the paint to open, she appeared in a trance and looked closely at
achieve the harmony seen in your works? the details, and then from afar, she asked if I was the
The blending of embroidery to my painted artist, and when I nodded, she ran out in haste
background comes very naturally. It is in fact the saying that she would return. She came back in a
background colours and composition that determines couple of days, armed with gifts that she had made
how much embellishment of different stitching is for me. She was a freelance writer and she was so
applied. I simply add texture and detail only where moved, uplifted, and inspired to present me with a
the subject is in the foreground or where I require scrapbook of poems and writing she had prepared on

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