Autumn at Red Earth

Autumn at Red Earth

W30cm x H42cm

Autumn at Red Earth was inspired by a field a short walk from my home, a place I return to again and again throughout the seasons. Today it is a quiet grazing field, but over a century ago this landscape was shaped by coal and clay mining. Nature has gradually reclaimed the land, leaving only the name "Red Earth" as a reminder of its industrial past.

I was drawn to the gentle colours of the autumn grasses, fading seed heads and bright yellow ragwort glowing in the low afternoon light. Rather than focusing on dramatic scenery, I wanted to celebrate the quiet beauty of an ordinary Lancashire field and the subtle changes that the seasons bring.

Built through thousands of layers of machine stitching, the embroidery creates texture and movement across the surface. Fine directional stitches describe the grasses bending in the breeze, while soft variations of colour capture the richness of dried vegetation against the darker hedgerow beyond.

Much of my work begins with places I know intimately, and this landscape has become one of them. Walking the same paths through the year allows me to notice small changes in light, colour and atmosphere that might otherwise be overlooked. This piece is a celebration of those quiet observations and of nature's remarkable ability to soften the traces of history.