Stitching The Beauty Of Nature: A Collection Of My Favorite Embroidery Pieces (15 Pics)

Born in the Blue Mountains, outside Sydney, Australia, when I was in preschool, my favorite time of day was when I was allowed to draw and paint. From an early age, I was exposed to fibre arts such as crewel and latchhook. I saw the amazing cross stitch and tapestries my own mother made, while my Nan created magic with her knitting needles. As I got older, this love never faded but it never occurred me that making art could be more than a hobby.

I grew up all around Australia from the west coast, the desert to the Capital City of Australia, Canberra. I worked as a Public Servant for 10 years. I met some mythical unicorns, former Public Servants who become artists. 

With my Irish husband and kiddos, I made a home in Bungendore, a beautiful village full of gum trees, kangaroos, art galleries and cafes, outside the Australian Capital. 

After living in Canberra and working for the Australian Government for 10 years, making a home, making a family, my husband and I decided to pack up the kids and move to back to his home in Ireland. I promised myself that I would use this fresh start to get back into art, that I loved in high school. 

After we settled into life in Ireland, with the kids starting schools, I signed up to a couple of local art classes and the morning of my first class, I said nah, I won't bother. Remember that promise I made? Fine, I'll go.

Those 5 classes gave me the confidence to pick up a pencil and start. I started drawing people I loved, then I started painting the beauty in the landscape I saw around me in County Offaly, Ireland. Then I discovered my true love, thread painting. My initial target was landscapes - first, I looked back home to Australia, my neighbor Lake George. Then the next month I recreated Fanad Head, County Donegal, in Ireland.

It wasn't until lockdown hit rural Ireland, playing in the garden with my kids in unseasonably warm spring weather. I loved the little robins hopping around the garden. I remembered a study I read on the positive benefits of birds on mental health, by the University of Exeter, the British Trust for Ornithology, and the University of Queensland. In that strange moment, watching the world stop and the birds keeping on going, I completely agreed.

Ireland exposed me to history, natural beauty and a new, interesting culture. I started drawing for the first time since secondary school. Inspired by new community, I painted a series of watercolour landscapes, titled “Rahan in Colour”, featuring sights of Rahan, Tullamore, Offaly. This series was featured in my first solo exhibition at the Tullamore Library in October 2019.  

During this series, I have discovered fibre art and developed my own technique of thread painting by embroidering on tulle. My inspiration and first bird to embroider on tulle was the European Robin or Robin Red Breast. I have sold work and been commissioned by people all around the world to thread paint landscapes and birds on tulle.