Bracket Bloom (2018)
20 x 20 inches
hand embroidery on linen ground
Kelly Tobias
My work is embroidered paintings - I like to use thread more as marks I make on the canvas rather than perfectly placed stitches
Fire Brand (2018)
18 x 24 inches
fabric dye and wool embroidery on unbleached canvas
Bracket Bloom (2018)
20 x 20 inches
hand embroidery on linen ground
Growth Forms (2019)
24 x 24 inches
hand embroidery on linen ground
American textile artist Kelly Tobias uses hand embroidery to create abstract compositions based on forms found within nature. Her natural colour palettes and beautiful materials focus on macro and micro levels – from land formations to tiny spores. “This constant shift in scale helps me think about things larger than myself or the political battle that is front of me that day.”
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I was born in New Jersey and have lived most of my life in Pennsylvania. I now live in the beautiful city of Pittsburgh with my husband and 1.5-year-old son.
Where do you work?
I work in a home studio that at one time was a second floor kitchen, when my 1913 home was broken up into three apartments. I took it over last July and I am slowly working to make it into a place that is more hospitable for making my work than baking a cake. The nice thing about the scale and nature of my work though, is that I can pack a piece up and bring it with me, so my studio can be anywhere that I have 10 minutes to stitch.
What is your background in textiles?
I have a background in fine art, but I have always had an affinity toward including fiber of some sort as part of my work for as long as I can remember. Textiles have always felt like something that connected me with the women in my family.
My mom was a quilter and made dolls when I was young. I can remember sitting next to her and quilting little hearts while she worked on her projects. My grandma taught me how to crochet, which also opened up another world for me.
After getting my undergraduate degree in Studio Arts at the University of Pittsburgh, I moved to New York to try to work in the textile industry. While working to develop textiles for interiors, I had some amazing mentors, who generously shared their knowledge with me and cemented my love of textiles. Although I no longer work in the textile industry as a profession, my art practice keeps me connected to the parts of that work that I loved the most: colour, composition and texture.
How do you describe your art?
I’ve started to refer to my work as embroidered paintings. Embroidery often conjures up traditional samplers and precious decorative items, but I am not delicate with my embroidery. Maybe it is a lack of patience, or just a personal preference, but I like to use thread more as marks I make on the canvas rather than perfectly placed stitches. I have no problem mixing a chunky wool yarn with a thin floss if it will get me a more interesting surface.
I take a lot of inspiration from nature on a micro and macro level. I started embroidering images based loosely on fungi forms a couple years ago and I feel like I solely do that forever. In addition to being stunning little natural sculptures they are also infinitely fascinating to learn about. Personally, these fungi forms have become representative of a kind of non-linear personal growth. As we age and our lives morph- as we lose and gain the people we love- something feels very right about relying on these forms to describe those changes. We talk a lot about our careers and personal lives as these ladders we climb, but I guess I have decided that I would rather be releasing spores.
How long does a piece generally take?
I like to work on multiple pieces of different scales at the same time. Right now, I am finishing an extra-large, detailed piece that took over a year. At the same time, I finished a 9 x 9” embroidery that took me about a month on and off and I have a couple large commissions in the works that I am anticipating will take approximately 8 weeks.
My best working hours happen early mornings and late at night (when my day job is over and my kiddo is in bed).
What is your career highlight to date?
Securing my in-home studio feels like a big highlight. It’s been a bucket-list goal for me.
Do you have any tips for people wanting to start embroidery?
Just go for it. My first embroidery was on a piece of linen with yarn from an old sweater. There are an abundance of resources for learning stitches on the internet, so you can be as complex or as simple as you want. I typically use only 1 or 2 types of stitches at most in my work. I’m still learning to make the most of this medium. As an added sense of safety, it’s is always nice to know that you can usually cut some threads and re-stitch anything you are unhappy with.