Seasons – Contemporary Embroidery & Textile Art Inspiration

Mark-Making Through the Seasons by Helen Parrott Published by Batsford Introduction You may have heard of this artists previous offering, 'Mark-Making in Textile Art', which was a brilliant companion for Textile artists. Now, she has released this honed in version, looking at Mark-Making through the natural world and seasons...……. Who is it aimed at? Those with an appreciation of the natural word, the changing of the seasons. Lots of techniques are discussed, so there is no definite niche you have to be interested in - it covers Textile art very well. About the artist Parrott has produced many quilts over her time as an artist, as well as writing for magazines and of course publishing books. She is known for her landscape based work, which ties in with the theme of this publication. Content So, what will we find? The book has been divided into the four seasons. We liked how this publication is not completely centred around Textile art only. It spans nature for natures sake, encouraging us to take walks and then use that inspiration within our art. Everything is explained. Looking for the signs of each season, can bring us joy mentally as well as be inspirational. Techniques and projects are also covered in this book: the author first teaches us the basics of both hand and machine stitch techniques, working with stitching, chain stitch, quilting, applique, blackwork and dyeing. Lots of methods are explained and illustrated to keep us going. Photography There are some very good shots of close up work, some are large which fill the page: The artists own ways of interpreting the seasons are illustrated. Via photography, connections between point of inspiration and ongoing nature art projects become obvious. This helps us visualise our own ways of working too. What makes this book special? We mentioned earlier that walks are detailed, ventures into nature. Again we must mention this, as it is unusual for a Textile art publication, yet it works really well. In the example below, winter walks are suggested - showing how we can be motivated to not only get out there no matter the weather, but also produce artwork because of it! This artist encourages the reader to connect to what is around us, our own area. It doesn't have to be rural, we may live in a city setting, we can use whatever is around us. Anything wrong with the book? If the natural word isn't your thing, then this may bore you. Conclusion Mark-Making Through the Seasons by Helen Parrott Published by Batsford Just click the book title to buy a copy!