Sewing The Seeds

This is a portrait I did of my partner Marta Patlewicz. We decided to do a portrait to illustrate different elements of her life in the past, present and future. One feature she definitely wanted in the portrait was a connection to sewing. She has a passion for working with materials in productive ways to make clothes and wearable items. She especially likes the idea of upcycling fabrics. Sewing is a thing that links her to her past, taking her back to her former path of a fashion designer. Therefore we set up her desk with an old singer sewing machine and set the scene for her in work. We placed a pepper plant on the desk also to display her other main interest; growing our own food.

The setting in a forest also tells the story of her love for nature. With a subterranean eco house in the background foretelling her future dream. The two horses represent both her and myself.

This piece is painted with acrylic paints onto reclaimed wood. The sewing machine, which was modified to display Marta is burnt directly into the wood.