Tuscany 1

Tuscany 1
W 30.5 cm x H 40 cm 

Tuscany 1 began life as a much earlier embroidery that never quite fulfilled the vision I had for it. Although parts of the original work appealed to me, the composition as a whole felt unresolved. Rather than abandoning it, I chose to deconstruct it, cutting the embroidery into sections and reassembling selected fragments into an entirely new piece.

This process of reconstruction allowed the work to return to the atmosphere that had inspired it in the first place: the intense heat of a Tuscan summer. Layered strips of stitched fabric evoke sun-baked stone, weathered rooftops, dark woodland and the shimmering light that softens the landscape on a hot afternoon. The textured metallic background contrasts with the rich greens and blue-greys of the reconstructed centre, suggesting both warmth and distance.

By reimagining rather than discarding an earlier work, Tuscany I celebrates the creative possibilities of transformation. It demonstrates how a piece that once seemed unsuccessful can become the starting point for something entirely new, while still preserving echoes of its original inspiration.