
Embroidery and Collage by Chloe Mortar
Jackdaw
Chloe Mortar
As an embroidery artist I have a passion for pattern, colour, textures and layers- plus a particular interest in folk art, medieval/renaissance art and botanical illustration.
My background influences come from my study and lifelong interest in art history combined with a working knowledge of graphic design and specifically the modern craft skill of machine embroidery techniques.
My work focuses on the natural world and the countryside, particularly the birds, insects and animals within the layers of a landscape. Of late I have become more interested in achieving a loose creative record of local wildlife as I become increasingly aware of the speed of change in the modern world.
Artwork combines detailed and specific machine embroideries with layers of collage built up from scraps of paper, prints and old fabrics. Whilst I often like to get the shape and structure of the main embroidered subject matter as closely visually accurate as possible, the surrounding imagery often has a feeling of magic realism and is finished much more loosely in a series of layers which can also include paint, chalk and hand embroidery.
The steely gaze of the Jackdaw. A machine embroidered portrait of this intelligent bird on a fabric collage background.
Embroidery and Collage
23x23cm
Framed