Meredith Yeoman
Fibre Artist
My husband and I retired in late 2018 and we moved to a little seaside village called Saunders Beach in North Queensland, in June 2020. For the previous few years, I had held many craft stalls at different markets, full of many different disciplines, but I never really found an artform that resonated with me until 2021 when I discovered Thread Art and Macra Weaves.
Thread Art
I come from a family of botanically inspired artists, but try as I may, I just cant paint. In March 2021, I did a course in sculptural embroidery. The course taught us the basics in stitching techniques and how to mold pieces to give a 3D effect, and the possibilities with this artform just snowballed in my mind. Best of all, I found I could paint, with thread!
My love for Australian native flowers has provided me with endless inspiration. I have been know to pinch specimens from strangers gardens, parklands, or to pull up suddenly on the side of the road when something catches my eye. I will rush home with my prize, photograph it, draw it and cut it apart to see how it can be constructed and matching thread colours to petals, leaves and stems. If I can't find the real thing, I will pour over photos, finding all the angles I need to work out how to recreate it.
I now have friends and family members bringing me flower offerings to see if I can recreate them. Not all are successful, but it sure is fun trying.
Macra-Weave
I, like a lot of others, learnt macrame in the 1980's but after doing a few pieces, stopped knotting and did not even think of doing another piece until in 2021, when both my sewing machines were off being serviced, I discovered macra-weaves. Now I can happily spend many hours, weeks and months doing large wall hangings.
I usually don't have an overall vision to start with, and just happily see where my fibres lead me. I love to play with layers and textures when building my piece. If it is a commission piece, I work very closely with the eventual owner, incorporating their visions where ever possible.