Embroidery Exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale

Date published: 23/04/2004

'The Embroidered Garden' is the new exhibition to be displayed at Touchstones Rochdale. The exhibition, which opens on 24 April, displays how artist Bev Todd uses embroidered thread to create rich vibrant paintings, inspired by gardens in Britain and the USA.

Bev Todd is a British artist who lives and works in the foothills of the Peak District, on the Derbyshire and Cheshire border. Bev studied at Manchester Metropolitan University in the 1970s and trained in textiles and fashion. She specialises in Embroidery and has taught in Art and Design Colleges for many years as well as exhibiting in both Britain and the USA.

Embroidered thread painting is a development of freestyle machine embroidery using a variation of straight and swing needle techniques. The machine becomes the drawing tool and by moving the painting around a rich vibrant effect is created with thread. Light plays on the stitches and enhances the paint-like, textural quality of the images.

The exhibition also shows examples of work using cold water dyes and acrylic paint on cotton fabric and a diverse range of 'Peacock' embroidery using Oxley Threads which have been existence since 1870.

The artist's embroidered thread paintings are inspired by gardens from both England and the East Coast of America, which she visits frequently and, talking about her work, she explained, "My work begins with a love of gardens, both here and in the USA. I try to capture the magic and tranquillity I find in many gardens and I translate the images through the evocative qualities found in fabric and thread."

Bev Todd's 'Embroidered Gardens' is part of an exciting Spring/Summer programme at Touchstones Rochdale themed around 'Into the Garden'. The exhibition is on display until 2nd June. Entry is free and the Centre, which is on The Esplanade in Rochdale town centre, is open seven days a week, Monday to Friday 10am-5.30pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am-4.30pm. The centre offers a museum, four art galleries, a heritage gallery, Tourist Information Centre, Café and shop with regular events and workshops. For further information ring 01706 864986 or visit www.rochdale.gov.uk/touchstones.