Submerged Garden

Clara has been privately creating hand-embroidered paintings for over 20 years and last year finally felt brave enough to share her art with the world - both on Instagram and in local shows. Over the years, Clara has struggled with complex PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Continuing to create her art during these challenges gave her purpose and a sense of self despite her internal chaos. The embroidered elements are one of Clara’s favourite parts of her creative process, finding the slow, deliberate practice of hand stitching her paintings to be almost meditative. Clara loves the subtle textural contrast embroidery provides, while also drawing the eye to the detailed layers beneath.

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This artwork began intuitively, layering different patterns and shades of green. As the layers built, an aquatic landscape appeared to me. I leaned into that, adding midnight blue to create a lush garden that might be found in the silent depths of a lake or creek. My favourite details in this piece are the pale green sections, which I hand-embroidered with beads and French knots - a slow but relaxing process.