At the beginning of each year I always allow myself time to play with different ideas and processes in the studio.
For me there is nothing more inspiring than our native wildlife. Going out into nature everyday and exploring different habitats and environments has been my saving grace over the recurrent lock-downs here in Ireland.
We have an abundance of wildlife living in our 5km limit and are extremely lucky to be surrounded by lots green spaces to explore. Over the past few weeks I’ve started going for my daily walks closer to dusk. Its like a magical time where other wildlife species starts to appear, your senses become more heightened in the darkness and every sound or movement in the undergrowth brings forth a new surprise.
I found that with the low levels of light I began to imagine species with more vibrant colors and texture and wanted to create pieces to capture the magic of that time of the day. Breaking all the rules, I started sketching some native species using bright pops of colour . I wanted to see how these would translate into textile pieces and so the fun began.
I also decided to use various different weights of thread in each piece to give them more of a textured appeal. Usually when working in free motion embroidery I tend to opt for Aurifil 50 wt thread due to its fine line and precision . But I’ve incorporated heavier weight threads such as Aurifil 40wt, and 28wt into these portraits to give the animals more definition and texture. Layering heavier weight threads against lighter threads allows different colors to shine through the artwork giving it an almost luminous quality.
I wanted convey the magic of dusk through the back drop of each piece an so I experimented with different fabrics from brocade to denim and embellished them with ,metallic threads , fibers and inks in order to bring that magic to life.
Each piece shimmers and sparkles in the light adding an extra dimension to the artwork.
Email kathyrossart@gmail.com for pricing details etc.