Thursday, October 21, 2021

Stitch Artist Deb Shepherd Paints With A Vintage Swing Machine



Deb Shepherd is a contemporary artist and a freelance pattern maker based in New Zealand. Deb is a self-proclaimed stitch artist who creates stunning artwork "painted" with thread combined with painted text, collage and some mixed media. After years of experimentation and exploration, Deb has invented her signature style with free motion stitch. From landscapes, to portraits, to icons, to animals, to the birds of New Zealand Deb free stitches them all using her vintage Irish swing needle machine on silk organza.

"My artwork combines my passion for textiles, drawing, painting and design, and is realized through a combination of techniques associated with these creative disciplines."






Her large scale pieces can take up to 2-3 weeks to finish. The intricacy and accuracy in her work make her work look like paintings. Her work unfolds many interesting details on being examined closely.

Deb has been honored with many awards for both wearable and visual art works including WoW (The World of Wearable Art), the NZ Embroiders Guild National Exhibition, the Franklin Arts Festival and, has participated in several exhibitions around New Zealand. Her artwork is in private collections both in New Zealand and internationally.