VICKY O'LEARY
TEXTILES
HAND AND MACHINE EMBROIDERED PRODUCTS
RIVER TO RICHMOND
As a family, we quite often go for walks from Ham House along the River Thames to Richmond and stop for a cup of tea in a cafe near the bridge. It's so beautiful by the river and there is a particular section that always has lots of pink and white wild flowers. I have often promised myself that I will create a piece of artwork inspired by it. So here it is!
It is a mixed media, layered piece with lots of hand embroidered detail.
I have more artworks in this series and they are all able to be viewed during the Surrey Artists Open Studios event. I am open 11-5pm on weekends of 3,4,10 and 11th June.
Click here for more info, no need to book, simply Turn up and say hello!
Exterior frame dimensions are 50x50cm.
£275
KEW GARDENS
This piece was inspired by a trip to the wonderful gardens at Kew and depicts a view walking from the Broad Walk up to the water near the Palm House. I really loved the variety of plants and wanted to use different textures to capture each one.
It was such a beautiful spot and the water seemed so calming that we sat and had a picnic looking at all the birdlife in the area.
It is very much a mixed media piece with lots of hand embroidered detail.
I have more artworks in this series and they are all able to be viewed during the Surrey Artists Open Studios event. I am open 11-5pm on weekends of 3,4,10 and 11th June.
Click here for more info, no need to book, simply Turn up and say hello!
Exterior frame dimensions are 50x50cm.
£275
ORANGE VIEW 2
I have created this smaller artwork to help explore the materials and processes I have been using. I have allowed myself to be more free with the application of paint to suggest the landscape rather than to replicate it. I have used collage to create textures and sections of print. Alongside this I have included handwritten notes from my journal to give more meaning and a personal connection to my work.
Artwork comes with a white mount and white wooden frame. Exterior frame dimensions are 23x23cm. Artwork is 12x12cm.
£48
COPPER CONTOURS
This was inspired by a sweeping path that lead round a huge hill, with golden tones in the grasses and lots of different foliage. I have added lots of texture to represent all the different plants, rocks and the contour of the path.
Artwork comes with a white mount and white frame. Exterior frame dimensions are 40x40cm.
£150
EMBROIDERED NOTEBOOK COVER
This is a re-useable cover for an A5 notebook – it comes with the lined notebook inside, but once this notebook has been used up you can remove the cover and pop it on your next notebook. I have hand painted the fabric and printed smaller details on the front and back of the notebook. Taking my inspiration from natural surroundings, the colours and beauty, the shapes and textures. I have used free machine embroidery to highlight areas and hand embroidery in the front section.
A5 Notebook Cover
£38
MACHINE EMBROIDERED HOOP
This was inspired by the wonderful Surrey countryside. I used silk paints to paint a wash background and printed textures and images over the top with a few sections of applique. I used a lot of free machine embroidery techniques and different stitches to create the various hills and countryside. The flowers in the front are both machine and hand stitched, using knots and loops to add interest.
10’’ Hoop
£43
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LANDSCAPE HOOP
I love the hazy colours in this piece, again inspired by the beauty in nature, particularly the hills on a warm sunny day. I hand painted the background and embellished it with some recycled elements – different papers, lace and fabrics that I had painted. I hand stitched each piece on and used more hand stitching in the foreground. If you would like to make a piece like this please see my Workshops page.
10’’ Hoop
£33
MINDFUL STITCHING LEAF HOOP
Mindful Stitching is a very meditative process where the actual act of making it is as important as the end result. I selected the fabric colours which represented a very calming, grounded feeling to me. My stitching brings all of the colours and sections together and highlights one single leaf shape. The result is simple but very effective. For more information on Mindful Stitching have a look at my Workshops page.
7’’ Hoop
£25 for Leaf Hoop
LANDSCAPE HAND EMBROIDERED HOOP
I am passionate about using recycled elements for my work as I do believe we must all get better at using what we have rather than creating a throw-away society. The background fabric in this piece was an old bed sheet, any rips or imperfections in the sheet just add to the history of the piece and the unique design. I have coloured the background and used fabric scraps to add texture along with hand embroidery. If you would like to create this yourself, have a look at my workshop page for details.
8’’ Hoop
£33
LACE PRINT
This piece was inspired by contours of scaffolding on a building. I have abstracted it using paint, printing and mark making. I have recycled some silver foil and stitched my hand made metal sequins, added free machine embroidery to follow the lines and stitch blocks of colour to create a more balanced feel.
I believe art takes on a new, interesting quality when recycled elements are added - these can then be seen in a completely new way when taken out of their usual context. It helps us to look at the quality and properties of the materials being used.
30 x 30cm framed piece.
£70 Includes black frame.
