Embroidered
Fine Art
Creative Process
I combine meticulous freehand machine embroidery with hand painting techniques, creating ethereal landscapes that explore patterns within science, beauty and the natural world. Working on stretched linen, I explore the textural intersection between thread and watercolour, giving a multi dimensional aesthetic.
Starting with loose and unpredictable forms in watercolour, I study the emerging patterns that suggest imagery such as topography, waterways, dendritic formations, fractals, and migration pathways. I have developed a style of drawing with the needle to accentuate line, perspective, and give definition to the subject matter. I mix thread texture, colour and density to lift the imagery towards the viewer.
My aim is for the physicality of the work to result in a visuo-tactile experience for the viewer,
to reflect and engage with their own personal story.
About My Work
In the same way that physical patterns emerge in the neurological landscape of our minds, I seek to represent these often intangible concepts which are universal to the human experience. Patterns in nature and patterns of thought feel synonymous in my landscapes. I frequently depict synapses, dendrites and neurons, inspired by researchers in neuroplasticity such as Greg Dunn, Ramón y Cajal and Dr Caroline Leaf.
My recent work explores geometry and tessellation, representing the way our brains seek to organise our experience of being in the world. I have juxtaposed contrasts of manmade structures against natural forms; cultivated land, floodplains, salt flats, meandering river-ways with mudflats, dry riverbeds, mountain ranges and wadis. I repeat the theme of swallows breaking out from rigid fixed thinking into a lighter and more spacious thought-life.