fayettevillearts.org

Don’t miss Lunchtime movie @ the Massey! Friday, June 26 Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Next Friday, we will present the documentary, Jean Draper, which is a fascinating glimpse into an embroidery artist’s studio practice. In the film Ms. Draper shares the various phases of experimentation and labor that go into a work, from those germinating bits of inspiration that start the process to the technical experiments in surface manipulation that make the work complete. Art lovers and artists of all sorts will be interested in this film!

Jean Draper is immediate past national Chairman of the Embroiderers’ Guild (in the UK). She regards serving the Guild and helping to promote the subject of embroidery to Members and to wider audiences as a great privilege. First and foremost a hand stitcher, Jean feels it is natural, but never commonplace, to have a needle and thread in her hand. Draper says, “The rhythm of the stitch – the gesture – is a very important aspect in the making of my work. I would describe the stitching as an intensely physical activity, the actual process being as important as the finished work.”

Travelling extensively in the American Southwest has shaped the content of her work, derived from studying the landscape in that region. “The land, shaped by natural elements, is also affected by generations of people who lived, worked and left their marks upon it. I make reference to both the early inhabitants and the physical features of the land. The use of stitched lettering in some work, where relevant words are repeated to make a complete surface composed of text, has become important in recent pieces. After stitching, work is treated with clay slip, paint and sandpaper,” she explains.

For more information on this and other amazing artists and artwork, go to: http://www.practicalstudygroup.co.uk/members/jdraper/jdraper.html

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