Artful Threads

I’m not a big fan of embroidery.  I find it too fussy and show-offy, too much in love with technique.  And don’t get me started on machine embroidery. However, occasionally I come across some art that just happens to use embroidery as the medium.

Recently, thanks to the guy who cuts my husband’s hair, I became aware of two artists/craftspeople who use hand embroidery to create landscapes – Martha Fieber and Natalia Margulis.  Sidenote: David Norton, my husband’s barber, is a talented creator of landscapes in fused glass who exhibits his work at national craft expositions. Since he knows I’m interested in fiber art, he mentioned these two ladies to my husband to pass on to me.

Cloudbank by Martha Fieber reminds me of the tallgrass prairie in Kansas.

I’d love to use Blue Mountain Lake (Martha Fieber) as a meditation tool. Although Fieber’s website doesn’t give the dimensions of this piece, my guess is it’s 5 inches high and 14 inches long, based on dimensions given for similar work.

Snow Track by Natalia Margulis shows a somewhat different technique, but again the embroidery is used in service to the image.

Fine Ice by Natalia Margulis shows the textures she puts in her work.

All three artists will be at the American Craft Exposition August 23-25 in Evanston, Illinois.

Here’s a piece by David Norton, in case fused glass is your thing.