Updates and Stitching

Hello,

It's nearly March and I'm busy getting work ready for different events and exhibitions which are not far off now.
In a few weeks time, I'm looking forward to meeting members of Leicester Embroiderers Guild, where I will be giving a talk and taking a selection of my textiles and various sketchbooks.
I have just finished framing new small works which will be on display at The NEC, Fashion, Embroidery, Stitch show, I will be demonstrating on the Madeira threads stand from the 17th March until 20th March.
These are landscape fragments, taking inspiration from my drawings of nature but also of personal experiences.
You will see me working on new textile work for my Enchanted Landscape gallery, for the Knitting and Stitching Show in Edinburgh, opening on the 28th April.

I'm pleased to say that I will be taking part in Warwickshire Open Studios again this year, June 18th -3rd July, but this time as part of an exciting group exhibition at The ArtistsWorkhouse in Studley, a vibrant artists community, gallery and studios.
So thankfully, its all fairly busy, not only with stitching, but painting canvases, sorting admin ( eek!) teaching and meeting fellow artists.

Best wishes
Michala

Enchanted Landscapes at The Knitting & Stitching Shows

After India

 So for my first blog post of 2016, I thought I should bring you up to date ( long over due) with all the exhibitions I have had the pleasure of being involved in and share a few images.
It was a very busy Autumn, starting with The Knitting & Stitching Show in London in October for five days, then Dublin and Harrogate in November!
I was very lucky to be able to bring all my larger textile works together for the first time in my exhibition and also to show a selection of my sketchbooks with smaller stitched pieces.
What an amazing experience, meeting so many lovely people who are incredibly enthusiastic about textiles.
I had no idea that so many students were studying my work at schools and colleges, it really was quite over whelming, but also wonderful to know that I have played some part in a younger generations creative journeys.

The show has a great selection of talented makers working in a vast array of materials and so many exciting stalls with threads, wools, fibres and materials. ( yes, I did buy more threads!!)
I'm pleased to say that I have been invited to exhibit my gallery Enchanted Landscapes with the Knitting & Stitching Show when it launches for the first time in Scotland.
The show will be coming to Edinburgh, 28th April  to 1st May 2016 at The Royal Highland Centre.

This year I will also be demonstrating on The Madeira Threads stand at The Fashion Embroidery Stitch show at the NEC in March.
Then in December I will be showing my work as part of a touring exhibition, more news about this to follow.

I have now produced a full colour, paper back book of my work, showing my textiles, drawings and paintings, priced £10.00 it will be available at the shows I visit.
I am also able to post out my book if you wish to order it, please either email me or contact me via my website.

You will also find a section about my art work in the inspiring Through Our Hands portfolio, this book is available on the Through Our Hands website.

It's back to my stitching and you can now also follow me on Instagram @michalagyetvai.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year

Michala

Detail of Seas of Grass

Books

My Stand at The Knitting and Stitching Show 2015

Homage a' Matisse

I have a very busy week ahead organising my work for The Fashion, Embroidery,Stitch show at the NEC in Birmingham which opens Thursday next week!
One of my textiles I will be displaying is Homage a' Matisse which stands 8ft tall and took me around two years to complete. ( featured in the March issue of Embroidery Magazine)
The piece is developed from studying the rhythms in the work of the French artist Henri Matisse.
I observed the musicality in the way in which he placed colours and shapes, I took particular interest in his paper collages, "The Snail" and "The Kings Sadness", I combined these themes with my own painting which then led to this work.
Throughout the piece I have layered different threads in machine and hand stitching, emphasising areas of the work which became three dimensional.
I then manipulated those areas further by stitching the work on to a large blank canvas.

On Wednesday I will be transporting ( hope everything fits in the van)! and hanging all my pieces.
I will also be running free one hour workshops at the show everyday, places are limited to ten and need to be booked on the day of the show.
Hope to see you there!

Michala

"Within The Forest Of Threads"

Here are some new pieces which I am working on directly from my sketch book.
I still have many paintings of landscapes which are crying out to me to be stitched but I felt compelled to work with these new ideas.
I have been asked if I could run a few one hour workshops for Maderia threads at The Fashion, Embroidery, Stitch Show in March, when I get more details I will share them here.

Michala x

New Year & New Work

This piece entitled "Snow on Snow" is inspired by the poem In The Bleak Mid Winter by Christina Rossetti.
I made many sketches after a walk in the snow over the fields near us, which then led to a painting.
The work above measuring 45cm x 63cm  has taken hours of stitching and includes many different threads with fibres.

In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

I will be exhibiting this work at The Fashion Embroidery Stitch Show in March as part of my British Romantic Landscape display.
You can find more details about the event here http://www.ichf.co.uk/fashion/

My sketch book is filling up with new ideas and figures which are growing out of my landscapes, you can see more of these here http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaylacoo/

Best Wishes for The New Year!

Michala

Art Threads

Stitching my landscape

 

 

                                 Compton Verney

                                The Workshop at Compton Verney



I have been meaning to blog for quite sometime, firstly about the workshop I ran at Compton Verney which was two weeks ago.
It was a great pleasure to teach in such beautiful surroundings and everyone was inspired to create pieces all of which were individual, different and experimental.
The emphasis was on trying out new techniques while interpreting their own studies from sketch book work.


Last week I visited the  Pre-Raphaelites  exhibition at Tate Britain, a fantastic exhibition which includes many textile works including William Morris's four poster bed.
I admired the painting by William Holman Hunt inspired from verses of the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson , The Lady of Shalott.

There she weaves by night and day
  A magic web with colours gay.
  She has heard a whisper say,
  A curse is on her if she stay
  To look down to Camelot.
  She knows not what the 'curse' may be,
  And so she weaveth steadily,
  And little other care hath she,
  The Lady of Shalott.

This vivid painting rich in colour, painted like a heavy Victorian tapestry depicts the Lady Of Shallot, tangled in her threads!


Tomorrow I will be joining in with the festive fun at The Herbert Art Gallery for the Making Merry which will have many handmade and vintage stalls.
I will be there to help my Mum on her vintage stall and I will display a few of my small brooches.

Then it will be back to working on larger pieces for my display "British Romantic Landscapes" at Fashion, Embroidery, Stitch in the NEC in March!

My Time Spent At Fashion, Embroidery,Stitch

Here I am busy demonstrating!

A display of my smaller art pieces

Jen Goodwin's beautiful hand embroidery

My work kept me warm while I was stitching!

A selection of my sketch books and small textile pieces

Hello,
It's been exactly a week since the Fashion, Embroidery, Stitch opened at the NEC Birmingham which I can't quite believe!
I was lucky to be able to show my work and demonstrate for Madeira threads.
As I had never participated in a show like this before, I was slightly nervous, but I was lucky to have lots of support and help from Maderia, as well as Jen Goodwin who was also demonstrating her embroidery.
Jen trained at The Royal School Of Needle Work, she told me about the embroidery she had done on the royal wedding dress last year, which was very interesting.
It was lovely to meet so many people and I was amazed at how far many had travelled.
Thank you if you came to say hello, blog friends, flickr friends and anyone who took the time to watch me stitch!
I hope to be exhibiting again next year which means I need to finish the very large piece I was working on, at least it gives me a deadline to work towards!

Fashion, Embroidery, Stitch Show

I am in a state of chaos, organising and sorting a whole range of work which I will be exhibiting next week at the Fashion , Embroidery, Stitch show at the NEC.
You will find me on the Madeira threads stand with my sewing machine and sketch books amongst piles of threads.

Hope to see you there!

More Workshops Planned!

If you are interested in translating your paintings, drawings or photograph's into textiles I am running the following additional workshops, encouraged by filling my first machine embroidery one!



The first one will be on Saturday 14th of April 2012, 10am until 3.30 pm  Sketchbook, Needle felting & Embroidery
You will learn how to develop your landscape ideas in your sketchbook using mixed media techniques, paint, ink, tissue paper, pastels etc..
From these sketches you will experiment with needle felting and hand stitching.
Cost £45.00 materials  £5
You will need to bring a sketchbook, needles and scissors and some images to work from.

Saturday 28th of April I will be running Freehand Machining with Needle Felting
This workshop will focus on needle felting and free hand machine embroidery to create a landscape.
You will play with beautiful fibres and threads!
Please bring your own images to work from.
Cost £45.00 materials £5.00
You will need to bring a working sewing machine which will adapt to freehand machine stitching, also scissors, needles & spare bobbins
The great news is that if you don't have a sewing machine, there will be the option to hire one for £5 a day. (please let me know as there is a limited number of machines available)

The workshops include tea and coffee.
We will take a half an hour break for lunch ( please bring your own lunch  )

Spaces are limited to 6 to 8 people per course
If you are interested in booking a workshop or require anymore details please email me.

I'm still busy stitching away as I'm trying to get work organised for the Fashion, Embroidery Stich show at the NEC which opens on the 22nd of March.
I hope to see you there if you can make it!
M x

My Sketch Book and Threads

This is the sketch book I took to Italy with me, it's filled with sketches of the mountains, which I hope to share over the next few weeks.
I had this on display at The Herbert Art Gallery with a few other smaller works and threads.
It is a constant source of inspiration, I will use these for my next paintings, developing along side my stitched textile works, plenty of work to keep me busy this half term week.

I'm pleased to announce that I will be demonstrating my work at the NEC in Birmingham Fashion ,Embroidery, Stitch show at the end of March on the Madeira Threads stand.
So if your planning to come please do pop over and say hello, as this is the first time I have participated in a textile show.
Once I get more information I will post it here.
Have a great week.

Michala