About
I am a mixed-media textile artist based in the lovely village of Bishampton in Worcestershire. I use free-motion embroidery to create my work, which is a way of ‘drawing with thread’ using a domestic sewing machine. The drawings are coloured using procion dyes; sometimes watercolour or acrylic mixed with a textile medium.
Originally from Swansea, I Studied a BSc Hons in Textile Design at Huddersfield University, specialising in woven design. After leaving university, I designed and created woven fabrics for interiors. I taught visual art and textiles in the Further Education sector for over twenty years and delivered workshops to primary and secondary schools. I offer workshops to schools, colleges and small groups. If you would like to book a workshop or a talk about my work, please contact me via email: michelleflintdesigns@gmail.com, or the contact page.
My current work is a combination of painting and free-motion embroideries of landscapes and architecture. In addition to my designs, I create work for private commissions and the public sector. My work has been exhibited in the UK and abroad.
Technique
I create realistic textile illustrations which are ‘drawn with thread’ using a domestic sewing machine. The designs are painted on cotton using procion dyes or acrylic paints mixed with a textile medium and embellished using free-motion embroidery.
I use several layers of thread to ‘draw’ the image, resulting in a raised, textured appearance. The intricate layering and blending of embroidery threads make the work appear illustrative. In some designs, the colours of the fabric paint dominate the artwork; the embroidery highlights a few features. I choose which method to use based on the subject I am illustrating.
Private Commissions
I have been commissioned for portraits, pet portraits and places that evoke sentimental memories. If you would like to commission an embroidery for a special occasion, please contact me with the details. Names and dates can be embroidered on to the work.
Public Commissions
2024 - Flag and banner design for The Royal Shakespeare Company.
2022 - Two wall hangings for the renaming of Dines Green Primary School, Worcester. Now Honeywell Primary School.
2022 - Evesham Abbey Trust Artist in Residence
2021 - Warwickshire Pandemic Stories. Wall hanging for Arts Uplift inspired by Covid lockdown stories.
2021 - Worcester Charter 400 Festival. Wall hanging celebrating the 4oo year charter.
2021 - The Commandery Museum. A quilt showing the process of making Broadcloth in the Tudor period, on display at the museum.
2020 - Sewing for Mindfulness online embroidery course for the CIC Arts Uplift.
2020 - Creative Connections. A digitally interactive textile artwork in response to the positive community support during lockdown. Funded by Severn Arts and Worcestershire County Council.
2019 - Embroidered artwork for Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust 'Art in the Garden' exhibition.
2018 - A 7.5 m x 3.5 m hand-painted silk backdrop for McCarthy-Felton School of Irish Dance.