Legacy was created for and entered into the juried exhibition Threadworks 2010, a national competition of needle arts which tours Ontario galleries and museums for three years. Every entry submitted to the show was to interpret the theme of Trees. It was my first submission into a juried show. I began with a base layer of fabric and transferred an original photograph onto it, later developing the image through embellishments of graphite, ink, watercolours, hand-made papers, fibers, and finally embroidery. I use watercolours to enhance the background and permanent micro tip markers to sketch out finer details. All embroidery stitches are completed by hand: backstitch, French knots, fern stitch, twisted chain stitch, and wheatear stitch are just a few of my favourites to use.
The major inspiration for Legacy was my grandmother, Edith Shaw, who lived to be 100 years old! The original photo used for the transfer was taken of the trees that line the farm road where she raised her family and worked the land with love and respect. Granny had a positive outlook on life and, like the rest of my family she was always encouraging of my artistic pursuits. I am also completely inspired by nature (trees in particular). I see trees as a symbol of hope. They start life as tiny seeds and emerge into some of the most majestic forms on the earth, enduring all that the environment subjects them to.
My biggest challenge in working with textiles is trying to create the majesty that exists in nature. I attempt to recreate this by layering translucent materials and by using different embroidery and illustration techniques.
Read more in our Spring 2011 issue.
