This sewn rendering of the Payne Gap Schoolhouse was created using an industrial sewing machine, with a lot of footwork and back and forth stitching. As you see, the back of the linen canvas shows all of the thread work, which is much more complicated (and in some ways more interesting) than the front design. I used cotton thread on linen for this 6″ x 8″ piece.
Postscript from Sam: recently Jeffrey and I discovered another thread artist, Chris L. Halstrøm, who lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her embroideries series’ rectangular design is a nod to Josef Albers, while Jeffrey’s work, well, is a little more fluid. We like the back of his Payne Gap work the best!
This work was a gift to Sam on October 13, 2018.
Agree, the reverse has way more appeal and tells more of the story of making. Is there a metaphor for sewing/thread similar to ‘reading between the lines’?