Mirjam Gielen – January 7-9 & 21-23 (Two Sessions)
Website: http://instagram.com/mirjamtextiles/
Mirjam Gielen is a Dutch textile artist creating organic embroidery. She is inspired by nature, especially by its patterns, colours and textures. She lifts aspects of what she sees in nature to create a new, often imaginary image. Her preference for natural colours prompted her to start eco dyeing and eco printing. The depth and beauty of the colors these techniques give are the main reason but she also feels that if nature is her main source of inspiration, her practice should be respectful of that nature.
Mirjam has no formal education in (textile) arts but learned first from family members and later by taking classes from renowned textile artists.
She started her career as a textile artist while writing books for children and young adults. Making ‘wordless’ art with threads and fabrics turned out to be the ideal way to refresh her brain in between chapters and double her creativity. Over the years this practice grew into something more serious.
Her favorite techniques are embroidery and crochet, often applied intuitively. The stitch process is in many ways an organic process in the slow development of the stitches on the fabric and the way they adapt and respond to their environment (the fabric) and each other. She aims to have a sustainable practice and chooses to work with natural dyes, organic fabrics and threads, and/or reclaimed materials as much as possible.
Sharing her work, process, knowledge and experience with others, through social media and digital platforms, is what makes her happy.
VIRTUAL LECTURE: Tues, Jan 7: 9:30 am (CT):
Organic Embroidery – Taking Your Cue from Nature
The lecture will show an overview of Mirjam’s work and an insight into the characteristics of organic embroidery. She will talk about how natural patterns can be recreated in stitch and how the stitch process in turn mimics natural processes.
Virtual Workshop: The Versatility of the Blanket Stitch in Organic Embroidery
Tues, Jan 7: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Wed, Jan 8: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Thurs, Jan 9: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
The above workshop has been filled. A second session with the same content has been added on the following dates:
Tues, Jan 21: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Wed, Jan 22: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Thurs, Jan 23: 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
You may sign up for this second workshop using the registration button and payment link in the left column of this page, as usual.
In this workshop participants will explore the versatility of the blanket stitch. First by making a sample piece with several variations on the blanket stitch in a free style.
This will help to experience the possibilities of this stitch and at the same time to feel at home with a free, organic style of stitching. Central in this sample will be the honeycomb stitch, a variation of the blanket stitch that is not very well known. It is ideal to replicate natural patterns.
After sample making, the participants will create an individual piece of textile art, using one or more of the variations of the blanket stitch, combined with other stitches and appliqué. Participants can design their own piece, but there will also be several examples for inspiration. There will be both freedom and guidance fitting to the needs of the participants. Participants will mount the finished piece either in an embroidery hoop or around stretcher bars.