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Photos by Susan Grace Hinman.
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Tales of painted adornment - The stitched bird - a journey of embroidery and painted enchantments.
I began creating embroidered textiles and painted silk to sell in 1986, after studying at weekends from the age of eleven at Farnham Art College, where I learnt many dyeing and printing processes including indigo, rust and discharge dyeing where I was eternally inspired by these processes. A few years later onto an Art Foundation course and then Cumbria College of Art & Design where I began developing my unique embroidery material. After this I started exhibiting at Designer Craft Fairs, Trade Fairs, Galleries and Shops. I have publications in books on how to make jewellery and painted silk garments. During this time galleries stocked my jewellery throughout the uk.
My garments are made from crepe-de-chine silk or silk/linen, silk/cotton, silk/rayon velvet and I use a range of techniques: painting, screen printing, stencilling, discharge, devore and resist. I mostly paint and print with procion dye. Also some iron fix metallic paints and crayons. The garments are then steamed, washed and dryed before sewing. Hems and sleeve edges are hand-stitched for a smooth quality and flowing drape.
My jewellery embroideries are invented, designed and developed by me and are a unique form of machine stitched sculptural textile which I shrink and mould into shapes creating a colourful iridescent quality. The virtual weightlessness of the material allows me the freedom to make elaborate pieces which are light to wear. The surfaces of many jewellery pieces are embellished with hand embroidery or applique with painted silks and velvets which have devore, discharge and cut-work.
I did take a few years away from the commercial selling of my textile work while my daughter was growing up. Although during this time I was experimenting and developing new work including stitched birds or portraits applied to painted wood; driftwood with gold leaf for interior wall art.
Then I sucessfully made and sold driftwood mirrors and frames for six years as I live by the sea. Only now am I getting back to selling my embroidered and painted textiles.
My brooches for the moss collection are inspired by the beautiful wild forests and lakeside walks in Finland. Beads, goldwork or lace and vintage materials also adorn the surfaces. These jewellery embroideries are applied onto beaten brass with a verdigris patina.
In a new experimental collection I have been creating painted/batik silk covered long beads wrapped with silk threads with many swarovski crystal beads or Czech glass fire beads knotted in. From these hang pendants made from fimo/celnit clay forms which are painted, adorned with pigment and colour, gold/metal leaf and verdigris patina. The wire I use in these is brass, Niobium or sterling silver. My jewellery is currently available to buy in my Folksy shop and garments in my new Etsy Shop.
I began creating embroidered textiles and painted silk to sell in 1986, after studying at weekends from the age of eleven at Farnham Art College, where I learnt many dyeing and printing processes including indigo, rust and discharge dyeing where I was eternally inspired by these processes. A few years later onto an Art Foundation course and then Cumbria College of Art & Design where I began developing my unique embroidery material. After this I started exhibiting at Designer Craft Fairs, Trade Fairs, Galleries and Shops. I have publications in books on how to make jewellery and painted silk garments. During this time galleries stocked my jewellery throughout the uk.
My garments are made from crepe-de-chine silk or silk/linen, silk/cotton, silk/rayon velvet and I use a range of techniques: painting, screen printing, stencilling, discharge, devore and resist. I mostly paint and print with procion dye. Also some iron fix metallic paints and crayons. The garments are then steamed, washed and dryed before sewing. Hems and sleeve edges are hand-stitched for a smooth quality and flowing drape.
My jewellery embroideries are invented, designed and developed by me and are a unique form of machine stitched sculptural textile which I shrink and mould into shapes creating a colourful iridescent quality. The virtual weightlessness of the material allows me the freedom to make elaborate pieces which are light to wear. The surfaces of many jewellery pieces are embellished with hand embroidery or applique with painted silks and velvets which have devore, discharge and cut-work.
I did take a few years away from the commercial selling of my textile work while my daughter was growing up. Although during this time I was experimenting and developing new work including stitched birds or portraits applied to painted wood; driftwood with gold leaf for interior wall art.
Then I sucessfully made and sold driftwood mirrors and frames for six years as I live by the sea. Only now am I getting back to selling my embroidered and painted textiles.
My brooches for the moss collection are inspired by the beautiful wild forests and lakeside walks in Finland. Beads, goldwork or lace and vintage materials also adorn the surfaces. These jewellery embroideries are applied onto beaten brass with a verdigris patina.
In a new experimental collection I have been creating painted/batik silk covered long beads wrapped with silk threads with many swarovski crystal beads or Czech glass fire beads knotted in. From these hang pendants made from fimo/celnit clay forms which are painted, adorned with pigment and colour, gold/metal leaf and verdigris patina. The wire I use in these is brass, Niobium or sterling silver. My jewellery is currently available to buy in my Folksy shop and garments in my new Etsy Shop.