I created this piece four years ago. And it’s still hanging in my own living room. And every day I smile back at her.
This was one of the first portraits for which I created the design myself. Or at least, it was the first design I was happy with.
This work also marks the start of a new way of working. Previously, I mainly worked from sketches and ideas on paper. I have now switched to a digital approach to designing and drawing using Procreate, before translating these designs onto fabric.
I’m fascinated by her smile. Her self-assurance. The tiny gap between her teeth. There was something about it that felt alive.
And it still does.
Looking back now, I can see just how much my work has changed. The colours. The depth. The techniques I use.
But some works don’t have to be perfect to be important.
This piece marks a starting point. The moment when I discovered that I could draw with thread and paint with yarn. And that is why this piece is still hanging here. And why it will remain here.