Harriet Riddell Zoom Program: Travels Around the World with a Sewing Machine – Art as a Means of Communication
Demo: Live Stitchery Portrait of our member Kevin Roche
(Special extended program 10:30-1:00)
www.institchyou.com
Harriet has traveled extensively, taking with her a sewing machine and a table strapped to her back as she bicycles through groups of people. Typically, she will settle down within a local marketplace, set up her sewing machine, and create power through solar energy and by inviting villagers to pedal on her now-stationary bike in order to create power to use the sewing machine. She will then select a subject of which she will create a portrait. But this isn’t the usual charcoal sketching – the sketch is totally stitched on the sewing machine with no hard sketches preceding. As she stitches, she will carry on a conversation with her subject to draw out their interests which she will then incorporate into the stitching in some way. She also frequently “sketches” scenes along the way, such as a wedding, or fishing village, or an interesting local scene, all powered by a bicycle!
She will talk about her travel experiences, showing scenes and people along the way. This will be followed by her stitching of Kevin Roche live-over-Zoom from her home in London. All of this is pretty fascinating to watch! Some of her stitching is shown below. Note that this meeting is a little longer, extended to 1:00.
Originally Harriet was scheduled long ago to present last October. But a happy pregnancy ensued, with an expected delivery date just a few days prior to our PenWAG meeting. She offered to meet the original commitment – unbelievable! – but we agreed to reschedule. She is now the mother of two sons, 3 years old and miniature.
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