In the summer of 2021 I embarked on an art exchange with an artist I met on Instagram. In return for a (stellar) oil painting of my daughter and me I was asked to embroider anything I wanted on the back of a jean jacket. This was a unique and very fulfilling experience and the resulting jacket is still, to date, one of my most memorable creations.
I chose symbolism that was familiar and frequently used in my own work, such as the evil eye, but which took on special meaning to my fellow artist. This made the project personally meaningful to the recipient but also easy to work on and helped me to feel more invested in the outcome.
In total, the jacket took a very long time to complete over the span of a couple of months and the amount of work really makes it feel special. Until this point, I do not believe that I have ever completed such a lengthy embroidery and I am really proud of myself for completing the piece.
This project was so much fun and it was a little sad to see it go. The recipient loved it, however, and that makes all the difference. I have now located my own jean jacket and hope to create a one of a kind art piece for myself in 2022. I think I will use medieval floral motifs on mine.
Cry The Bird 