Series: Architecture

Forgotten Houses

It was in January 2014. I didn't embroider yet, but was drawing and painting for some years. I still hadn't found my subject and style, when I stumbled on youtube across a series of video tutorials by Eli Ofir How to Draw a House. 

Veni.  

I saw his drawings of English houses and mansions, all commissioned works - so beautiful! 

Vidi. 

The tutorials were top notch, step by meticulous step - pencil, shading, ink. I followed them through. 

Vici.

My first results were these:

House Drawings, adapted from Eli Ofir

Irrespective of my former education as a construction draughtswoman (I never pursued this profession), I was always fascinated by architecture as much as by landscapes. Because both are simply beautiful. 

After learning Elis approach to drawing architecture, I set myself to drawing the house of my grandparents in the Ore Mountains, where I spent a good deal of my childhood. Today, it is gone to rack, still I wanted to preserve at least a bit of its memory.

Borstendorf, Fabrikweg 1 (part of the backside)

At this point, I was convinced, I found my subject and style. I would draw houses. And maybe someday, I would get commissions, too, who knows? But how life goes, this did not happen. There were other things, more important things, coming up, again and again, until I nearly forgot about my drawing plans.

Until I discovered embroidery as my great love. This was in July 2017. I had not forgotten drawing. I found, this was the great thing about embroidery, that I could combine drawing and designing with needlework.  

But I had forgotten the houses!

Rediscovered Houses

It was Christmas 2019, when while browsing the internet for inspirations for a stitching instruction I hit upon the website of Charles & Elin who specialise in architectural embroidery. This was an epiphany, my very own Christmas miracle. 

In search of my subject and style, I had already been trying out fairy tales, fish, historical costumes, poisonous plants ... you name it. (You can see some of these experiments here on my website under Finished Works.) And here was my true subject: architecture!

For a start, I dived head first into stitching a design by this couple, a corner on Rue Galande, Paris, offered as a free download. Here's the state of play to this day:

Rue Galande, Paris, Design by Charles & Elin

I loved stitching this (though I have to admit, that the instruction was slapdash, to say the least, but oh well, it is a free design, so I won't complain). Still, the further I was getting, an increasing dissatisfaction was taking hold of me: I would do it differently ... it isn't my own design ... in a word: more and more was I feeling like putting away this piece in order to draw and stitch my own architectural design. 

And so I did. 

Several years ago, I liked roaming the quarter I live in, taking photos of interesting houses, doorways and other architectural details. I'm sure your can imagine as to how handy these photos now came in. The first pic I chose was a derelict street door. The way I would stitch it presented itself, I didn't have to think about it too much. 

But see for yourself ...

Street Door #1