Teresa Shields

Artists Statement

I divide my studio time between embroidery and felt-making. I look at nature - plant forms, geometry, colors, cell structures, bones, antlers, wings - to see the underlying connections that these things have in common.

My intricate embroideries of fruits, vegetables and natural forms are made up of thousands of tiny French knots, most are smaller than a poppy seed. Unlike paint that can be blended, embroidery floss is a fixed color. I sometimes use unusual colors next to each other to make something pop or recede or define a shape or space making each biomorphic shape it’s own world of color.

My felted work is experimental. By using math to calculate shrinkage of wool fibers and partially-felted shapes, I reverse-engineer geometric or biomorphic three dimensional sculptures.

I’ve been around fabric and stitching my whole life. I like it because of the human connection. I am the first generation in my family to elevate stitches into art.

Teresa