Describe your working progress.
My technique is midway between photography - I use a picture as a base - and vector graphic design. Instead of using a digital vectorization tool, I do it manually using needle & thread, adding and manipulating the picture as I see fit. In the same way that I prefer analog photography, I'd rather use traditional techniques applied to a more modern context.
How did you discover your technique?
I have always loved handicrafts, and I started mixing photographs I got from newspapers & magazines. However I did not feel the final product was completely mine. One day I thought I could trace the silhouette of a person from a picture by stitching it to a piece of paper. I like the outcome, and I thought this could replace the photograph itself. Then I put them on different backgrounds made out of several kinds of paper and added color with watercolors or colored paper.
Has your process evolved over time?
I have more or less "systematized" the work so I will probably needle-paint any picture I like and keep them aside for future collages. Then when I come up with an idea of composition, I add colors, backgrounds, and everything else, like in a traditional paper collage. Obviously I have some calluses and my hand stitching has improved a lot, not only technically but also in the sense that I am able to give more characteristic details to the subjects I "draw". You have to select the adequate physical features to depict a person with a few lines so they will have the expression you want to convey.
What inspires you?
Mostly photography as a way to see the world. Many of the greatest photographs ever taken capture mundane situations, but with the proper approach, they become art.
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