The Textile Artist: Sculptural Textile Art

Book excerpt: Textile artistry ideas and inspiration for 3D sculpted projects, teaching the reader how to sculpt using wire; apply paper and fabrics to the frame, and decorate with embroidery stitch. Priscilla’s contemporary mixed media artworks offer a refreshingly different approach to embroidery, taking stitch to an impressive new level within wire sculpture. Working both two- and three-dimensionally, she combines colour, stitch, shape and texture, layering and transforming surfaces into beautiful, whimsical sculptures full of character, curiosity and charm. With her imaginative use of the needle and her love of retro vintage nostalgia, Priscilla has picked up on an enduring trend, exploring excitingly different ideas and pushing the boundaries with her original ways of working. The book explores a playful mixed media approach to creating 3D textile sculpture, using a variety of media to transform plain papers and fabrics through colour, texture and mark-making; including both free-machine embroidery and hand stitch. This gives the reader a collection of prepared materials to use in the five projects that follow, which build in complexity.