As spring finally brings us some warmer weather, as the sun shines and the flowers bloom, I find myself drawn towards the fresh air and the new growth. Similarly, in art, I find myself drawn to landscapes and floral elements. Being a textile nerd, when the two combine, it's exactly what I'm looking for.
Here's a little bit of spring embroidery art I've found on instagram recently.
Textural and tiny, these little landscapes have a big impact. There's something about miniaturizing that is so compelling; perhaps it's because it forces us to look closer to see the intricacy of detail.
I rather enjoy the explorative nature of this artist, the way embellishments of non-thread elements such as lace and shell bring us further into the scene.
Theres an elegant delicacy to these floral bursts - their composition and color choices incredibly soothing - like that perfect spring breeze on a sunny day.
I'm continually inspired and amazed at what people are able to do with a needle and thread. Who is your favorite embroidery artist that you've found?
Candace Hicks, associate professor of art in the School of Art at Stephen F. Austin State University, has captivated our attention with some of her unique textile art series.
Notes for String Theory is a series of the very familiar composition book pages we all know from gradeschool - a symbol of learning and processing thoughts.
“These hand-embroidered pages confront the existential possibilities of the blank page,” Hicks explains. “The size, format and color palette of notebook paper are familiar and warped at the same time. From across the room, they appear as flat, linear designs, but upon closer inspection reveal themselves to be delicately textured.”
The warped lines evoke a sense of wonder, of what can be if we alter the process. There is chaos yet beauty in the linear movement on the altered pages - much in the same way we face the unexpected possibilities of daily life.
Similarly, the series "Love Note to Linear Perspective" takes the same concepts and applies them to paper - the material guiding the process, and therefore the end result - cut pieces exploding out and exploring time and space in it's many forms.
Her work in the series "Common Threads" brings our attention back to the words on a page in 146 intricately hand-embroidered books containing illustrations and a plethora of texts "documenting her life in a universe of literary and pop-cultural coincidences".
There's always something compelling about the time it takes to hand stitch a work of art - it's a delicate, sometimes painstaking process wracked with mistakes, learning, and improvement - stitches ripped and re-sewn as past choices are no longer quite right for this work; an art of microcosm macrocosm.
In these works, Candace embraces thoughts of the universe, the unknown, life as we know it, connection, and possibility and puts her stitch in time.
Alicja Kozlowska is a contemporary textile artist who lives and creates in Poland. Alicja became interested in quilting and embroidery arts in 2017, and has since taken her work to the next level - building pop art inspired sculptural objects which are inspired by the realities of cultural consumerism in the world that surrounds us.
Combining various materials from labels, newspapers, foils, felt, fabric, buttons, beads, and more - the artist embellishes her renditions of everyday items to draw attention to the impact of humans on the planet through a consumption based economy.
To view more of Alicja's work, visit her instagram page @alice.kozlow.
There's a strength that comes with the use of black and red - a sort of statement that says, "I'm here, and I'm ready".
In this bold yet airy entry way, designer Patrick Printy uses the graphic nature of black and red to draw the eye towards individual statement pieces. The colors of the Navajo rug play perfectly with the Asian art on the walls, creating a sort of tension through conversation.
The rigidity of the jagged edges of the design adds a sense of motion to this energetic layout - keeping the eye in constant motion.
To view more from our Navajo - Four Corners collection, click here.
Described in Virginia Jacobs own words, the quilted sphere is “a distillation of the continuity and indefatigability of the spirit of folk music, dance and costume.”
"Krakow Kabuki Waltz" (1987)
Virginia Jacobs is best known for exploring the sculptural possibilities of the quilt while incorporating the colorful exuberance of the textile arts of many cultures into her work. By playing with form and dimensionality, her work confounds expectations.
The Portuguese artist, well known for her use of varying fiber art techniques to create works of woven sculptural art that draw attention to the need to save our oceans, did not start her journey on this path.
While she began her academic career set on going into the fashion industry, she quickly realized that the trade is one of the biggest polluters in the world and altered course. Now, using upcycled materials and waste from the textile industry, she aims to bring awareness to problems of imbalance in our world.
The works have expanded from the coral reef scenes she began with, and now encompass many textures and environments – you can feel deeply connected with the details of nature she recreates; be it underwater, in the forest, a field of flowers, the lunar landscape, or beyond. Using the most eco-friendly materials and processes available, Vanessa creates to call attention to the importance of our universe, our planet, our home.
