Gallery
Carol Wilkes
Life is too short to view our elements as single images alone- - - Carole Wilkes
Carol
Carole Wilkes
"Gathering Moss"
I was born and raised in rural New South Wales, into a family of knitters, dressmakers and fancy-workers.I reside in the picturesque Blue Mountains west of Sydney where I work and stitch from my studio home. I specialize in the art of free machine embroidery, hand embroidery and quilt design. My teaching takes me all around Australia and I have taught in Japan and New Zealand as well as exhibiting around the world.
Having completed many years of formal study and the accumulation of extensive experience and expertise, has determined where I am today. Carole Wilkes
detail, "Gathering Moss"
Carole Wilkes
"Earth's Crusty Layer"
When asked what I do, I reply that I am a surface embellishment technician, an experimentalist and embroiderist. I often add that I am also obsessed, possessed, and passionate about all that is textile. It's my life. I love to motivate others into learning how to relax, enjoy, play and most of all keep questioning and asking over and over "What Happens If?"
Because of my addiction to textile and related THINGS, I have built up a huge resource of samples. My sample books will continue to grow. As I play and experiment with new THINGS, or rediscover the old, I will always keep a sample of my plays as reference. It is these plays that are the basis of a lot of my teachings. Carole Wilkes
detail, "Earth's Crusty Layer"
Carole Wilkes
"The Passing of Time"
Although I exhibit regularly and do the odd commissioned piece, my first love is teaching, creating and sharing. I have often been referred to as The Tupperware Tutor (When I arrive the whole car unloads with samples, visuals, etc) and others have been known to say "there is that shoulder pad and panty hose lady", not because I look like a front row footie player with stilettos, but because these items are found regularly in my work.
Nothing escapes me. If it can be stitched it will certainly be there. It may not always be recognisable, but be assured it will be there. Carole Wilkes
"Body Art"

 

 

Carole Wilkes
"Art Bag"
I use lots of fabrics, threads and tit bits to build up multiple layers of colourful collage, patterning and texture. I tend to combine both traditional and contemporary techniques, lots of handwork as well as machine.
It is essential that my textile art works have impact, colour, texture and most of all, give great pleasure and curiosity to both viewer and wearer. I feel that gone are the days when Art was for the viewing and Textiles for the wearing. Carole Wilkes
"Comfort Zone"

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