Chris Earl

Christine Earl is a fibre artist living in Ladysmith, British Columbia. She has always had an interest in making art but for many years her creative energies were channelled into the design of computer systems. Upon leaving the corporate world in 2011, Christine re-focused on her original interest in the arts, and discovered the wonders of  textiles as an artistic medium. She uses fabric collage, thread painting, and quilting to depict her subject matter, often in bright, cheerful colours. Christine is inspired by the beauty of the natural world and the nostalgia of photographs, old and new. 

Working with fabric allows me to express my artistic vision while at the same time introducing an element of serendipity and surprise as I am selecting from colours and designs that are already part of the fabric. While I do hand-dye some textiles (mostly for fun!), the majority of my work is made with commercial fabric. Finding that perfect piece after a long search, or being surprised by something that I didn’t expect to work is always an exciting moment!  Free motion play with thread on top of the image can be almost invisible, or add subtle energy and movement, or emphasize specific features.  I truly enjoy watching the work progress through all phases and I love to write about it.  I am conscious of the amount of textile waste in our world and like to make the most of the textiles I have, using the tiniest scraps of thread and fabric trimmings to form interesting backgrounds and textures. I increasingly source my material from thrift stores, discarded clothing and exchanges with other textile artists.