Marna is an award winning artist and has exhibited across the country, sold work across the world. She has worked closely with the BBC, Liberty of London, Mollie Makes magazine to name a few and continues to teach at sold out venues throughout Britain. Originally trained at the Manchester School of Art in Fine Art, she still considers herself a painter but has moved mediums from oils to threads.

With an eclectic combination of materials and stunning hand-dyed and vintage threads, each element is lovingly handled and embroidered by Marna.

My biggest love from the age of six when sat on a bench drawing sheep on my local villages green has been to draw. It doesn't matter what those drawings develop into, whether it be into stitch and embroidery or paint. What matters is to draw. 

Based in the North East of England, I am an artist whose work is influenced by the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors where I grew up. Using colours and textures and absorbing the sounds and feelings from the landscape. I hand embroider my artwork in my home studio and on location. It fascinates me how tiny details of colour and texture can be found in the darkest depths of the wilderness, whilst sounds of rushing grasses and wittering lapwings influence the energy and depth of a stitch.

My main objective when working is to experiment with surface texture and colour, whether it be portrait or landscape. I work with thread exactly how I would paint with oil paint, building layers and injecting tiny spots of colour to create an image from the simple to the complex, with hidden details to draw you into the finished subject.

I like to use appliqué and beautiful fabric finds often to create interesting depth but am now tending to use more embroidery only in much of my pieces, which normally creates a more painterly appearance. Because my work has a lengthly process and involves a contemporary embroidery practice each piece is a labour of love and you become very committed and attached to each piece, only letting go when you know you have given every inch of yourself to finished artwork.

Follow my journey on my blog and Instagram feed. 

 

Marna is an award-winning businesswoman and textile artist and has exhibited across the country in galleries and fairs. Marna also teaches embroidery workshops in a select few venues across the country where you can meet her, grill her with questions, have a laugh and make something perfect of your own. The embroidery classes are quite an event in themselves and sell out quickly. Marna only chooses her very favourite locations so they are always unique and each class is very different.

There is nothing more soothing for the soul than the gentle art of slow stitch.

From a fine art background and self-taught in textiles, Marna brings a very different outlook to her work.  Marna teaches in a fun and relaxed manner and wants everyone to get the same therapy and joy that she does from slow stitch.  To find out more read this blog post - Hand Embroidery & Mindfulness