Featured Artist Robin McCarthy

Artist Robin McCarthy creates intriguing images with social undertones by adding embroidery to found photographs. Visit her website to see more.

 

 

A needle and thread were put in my hands at a young age.

 

 

By five or six I was cutting rectangles from my mom’s pretty fabric scraps, folding them in the middle and sewing up the sides, leaving armholes open. I would cut a hole for the head in the center of the fold. Just like that I had a new dress for my doll. I was hooked. There was no looking back.

 

 

Sewing has been one of a few consistencies throughout my life. Always there. For many years I designed my own line of clothing, worked in theater costume shops, and built puppets. Each one of those endeavors is dear to my heart, but they were all tied to my livelihood, which puts a different spin on creativity.

 

 

I yearned for the simple joy of creating for every reason, except money. So began my journey into embroidery as fine art.

 

 

I returned to school and studied graphic design. While there, I took an embroidery class on a whim. The teacher was a fabulous character who stirred up the possibilities in embroidery, outside the traditional.

 

 

The combination of my graphics schooling and embroidery really resonated with me, but it took a while before the inspirations began to make noise.

 

 

Early pieces were exploring the trend of embroidery on vintage photos. Much of my inspiration continues to come from old photos, old magazine advertisements, books of all kinds, and current events.

 

 

Those images and ideas are put together into new, digitally collaged backgrounds which are printed onto fabric. On top of the new backdrop, I embellish with hand-embroidered illustrations that subvert the image into a new direction. Often the embroidery is done with single-ply thread, which slows the process down greatly, but the end result is worth it.

 

 

I see each piece as a small story about being human on our spinning orb. I have a feeling that element will be a constant in my art.

 

Artist Robin McCarthy invites you to follow her on Instagram.

 

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