Birling Gap 2

Birling Gap 2

W21 cm × H32 cm 

This embroidery was another exploration of Birling Gap and the ever-changing meeting of sea and shore. My intention was to bring the beach closer to the viewer by incorporating real shells into the foreground, adding another layer of texture to the stitched landscape.

Although the sea developed much as I had hoped, with gentle layers of turquoise and blue suggesting the movement and transparency of the water, the foreground never quite achieved the balance I was searching for. The addition of the shells distracted from the quiet atmosphere rather than enhancing it, and I chose to leave the sky unfinished rather than force the piece to completion.

I have always enjoyed experimenting with different materials and techniques, and not every experiment reaches the destination I imagined. Sometimes an artwork teaches me more through what doesn't work than through what does. This piece remains an unfinished study—a reminder that the creative process is as much about exploration as it is about finished results.