Page 71 - The Digital Cloth - Issue 5

There is nothing I I find my stitching is becoming more
enjoy more than a spot painterly, although they are very different
of people watching, I mediums there are many parallels with stitch
am fascinated in how and paint.
faces move and What materials I use are just as important
observing people’s now as they were in the beginning, my first
mannerisms. It is safe series of portraits were made with hessian
to say that there is an and muslin, soft against hard, feminine next
element of to masculine. Now I stitch into wallpaper,
obsession – when in plastic and paper alongside using fabric
conversation with still. If I can stitch into it, I will give
anyone a part of me is it a go! These choices are still informed
focusing on the little by my subject matter, the wallpaper for me
details like the hair was the next logical step on from the ripped
growth of an eyebrow or wallpaper portraits. For my wildlife plastic
freckle patter-nation. pollution series packaging was the obvious
But more than this my choice and bubble wrap in my ongoing
fascination is with the ‘self-care’ pieces. Using these materials of
colouration and course bring issues but I enjoy the challenge
fragility of skin and and has brought me more insight into how I
within my portraits I can manipulate stitching.
strive to bring these
themes across. My
interest is more with
the flesh then the
actual likeness, but of
course conveying the
model’s similarity is
just as important.

The impressions I once
made with paint inspire
the mark making, I now
create with thread,
although I no longer
get the same kind of
accidental moments made
with paint. There is
much more control with
placing stitches but
now I have a greater
understanding of this
medium which has
given me a freedom to
play around with the
tension of thread and
putting ‘flecks’ of
strong colour as
statement markings. As
my artwork progresses