Abigail Halpin has a thriving illustration practice, and she often supplements it with delicate embroidery painting. Here, she offsets the visual heaviness of thread with light paint washes that provide a beautiful ethereality to her hoop art. The thread is used as a way to define these nebulous so that they have some structure while still celebrating one of the best things about waterbased-paints—their ability to create carefree, fluid forms.
“My textile work focuses on portraiture,” Abigail says, “recreating faces through embroidery. I primarily use reclaimed materials (such as vintage linens and postcards) as substrates, an opportunity to reuse what would otherwise be forgotten or discarded. I am inspired by working with these surfaces as they give me a narrative to build on and a story to complete.”
Follow Abigail on Instagram to see her work in progress and other creative endeavors.