Kenris MacLeod is a textile artist based in Edinburgh. She depicts the natural world around her using free motion machine embroidery. Restricting her colour palette highlights the beauty and patterns found in the environment that are rarely viewed in detail. 

What is your background in textiles?

My original degree was actually in Anthropology, after which I went on to work at the BBC where I was a radio producer for 15 years. I took voluntary redundancy in 2008 and got a place on the Combined Studies BA degree course at Edinburgh College of Art. The great thing about that course was that it required you to try your hand at many different disciplines within visual art which was what I needed – I knew I wanted to create but didn’t know what my medium was. I found myself having to do a module on stitched textiles, the idea of which appalled me due to enforced sewing lessons at school and many struggles with recalcitrant sewing machines! However, I quickly got over my previously ingrained fear and realised that I could use the sewing machine needle as a pencil and draw freehand with thread instead of lead. It felt like a revelation and I was hooked. 

What is it about textiles that appeals to you?

I do love the texture and 3D nature of what can be achieved with textiles. However, textile art is a huge category within which people work in a myriad of different ways and not all of it appeals to me just because it’s textiles. When waking round a gallery or researching images, I’m often more attracted to drawing and painting than textile work and take that approach to my own work, it’s just that I use a sewing machine instead. What I do is very specific and quite niche I suppose – I draw and paint with my sewing machine – I find it extremely meditative and it suits my precise and detailed way of working. There are many pieces of textile work that I look at in awe because they are so different from what I am doing, not to mention the techniques that are used. 

How do you describe your work?

Practically, I think I said it above – I draw using a sewing machine. It’s the question that every artist hates to answer as you’d really just much rather show someone your work rather than attempt to describe it. 

Why do you choose to depict nature?

I can’t get away from trees. I’m always telling myself that I need to branch out (sorry) and explore all the other facets of nature that I love – the sea and the landscape of the northwest of Scotland being particular favourites of mine – but I’m not done with trees yet and I have a feeling I may never be. To me, they are endlessly fascinating with endless possibilities and I feel such a connection to them as beings that we share a planet with and have felt this way as long as I can remember. My most dreaded sound is that of the chainsaw. I’ve recently been exploring a more abstract way of depicting them, partly inspired by Mondrian, but I’m fundamentally quite an illustrative maker so am drawn to the work of artists like Ivan Bilibin and Carl Larsson.  

How and where do you work? 

I take a lot of photographs and spend most of my time looking up into the depths of trees when I’m out walking – needless to say, I’ve had a few close shaves with lamp posts. I often roughly sketch out ideas beforehand but often jump straight in and start sewing because I want to get an idea of the effect of the thread which I can’t replicate in a sketchbook. Consequently, there are a lot of bits of stitched on material littering my studio and several unfinished pieces of work, which I know will never come to anything, but that I can’t bear to throw away because so much has already gone into it. But that’s all part of the process. Something l learnt very early on is not to be precious with your work but it’s very, very hard not to be, especially when unpicking layers of stitching isn’t an option or when you’ve spent weeks on a piece. It’s so important though, as soon as you get precious you lose it.  

I know it’s a hard question but roughly how long does one piece take?

A piece can take anywhere between eight hours and two months. It all depends on the size and the complexity. I have a series of works called ‘When We Slept In Trees’ and the largest of those took upwards of 320 hours. 

What type of sewing machine do you use and is there a brand of threads you prefer, and why?

I’m very loyal to Bernina who are a Swiss based sewing machine company. There’s a quality of stitch I get with their machines that I can’t achieve with others that I’ve tried. My faithful old machine recently packed in after seven years extremely hard graft and I’m currently getting to know my new machine – a Bernina 820 – which has a long arm, enabling me to manoeuvre large pieces with much more ease. I’m very lucky to have a great relationship with my local sewing machine experts at David Drummond Sewing Machines in Edinburgh. They are a font of knowledge and always ready to help me out when I have a problem. Which is more often than I like to admit. I still have a healthy fear of sewing machines! As to thread, I’ve recently discovered a company called Sew Essential who have the most gorgeous range of colours – getting a package through the post from them is always a treat. 

What is your career highlight so far?

In some ways, the highlight is just being able to do what I do. It doesn’t get better than that. It’s a joy. Every time someone wants to buy something I’ve made or asks me to be involved in an exhibition or a project I get a tremendous rush of, well I don’t know what you’d call it … gratitude? Purpose? It’s certainly a sense that I’m doing what I need to be doing to make sense of my life. I once had a cushion featured in Elle Decoration magazine and that was nice! 

Do you have any advice for aspiring textile artists?

I can only really talk about the specific technique that I use and what I would say is don’t be daunted. Just go ahead and make mistakes, experiment, don’t be afraid. But don’t sew over your finger because that is really very sore. What I have learned is that sewing machines are individuals with very individual personalities and quirks – they won’t always do what you want them to – which is why you need a good local expert to help you out when the going gets tough. It’s a partnership, you and your machine. And it’s your tool. Get to know it. As well as your machine, invest in good relationships with others, like fellow artists or your framer for example – I get fantastic support from my framer at Detail Framing Studio in Edinburgh – because you are not an island, you are part of a team. 

www.kenrismacleod.com