Sue Keen

I label myself as an artist and  maker as I believe this sums up my work totally. I have been stitching ever since I could hold a needle. I work in textiles and mixed media taking inspiration from nature and what I see around me. I love combining different techniques and materials to include beading, collage and both hand and free machine embroidery. I like to experiment and enjoy learning different ways of working and also find joy in helping and teaching others to find their own way within craft and art.

Fabric forms the base of much of my work along with stitch and embellishments to create art works based on nature.  My work is continually evolving and changing and now experimenting with goldwork embroidery. I also manipulate fabric and stitch to create wearable art, continually developing processes for unique items.

Over the past year I have developed more time with bead work incorporating goldwork embroidery. I am still basing work on natural forms with the use of colour and texture in the forefront of my work. It is a time consuming process as each bead is sewn on individually to form wearable pieces of art, in this case brooches.

This year I have been working on more 3D, free standing creatures. This is a work in progress trying to magic fabric from something that resembles ‘road kill’ into a beautiful, dazzling frog! He is now resplendent in his jewelled body.

Otter, animal portrait in coloured pencil

Over the last couple years I have also discovered a love of drawing realistic animal portraits with coloured pencils and have had a degree of success in this working on commissions from photos. These portraits can take up to 20 hours to complete. I find that this slow, careful process is good for the mind and soul and I can easily find I miss meals when working on one.

You can see more of my work on my instagram page, see link below.

http://www.instagram.com/suekeenart