‘The bold & the beautiful’ was offered as a theme for 2020 before anyone had heard of Covid 19. It still fits for the circumstances a year later and required some imagination to create an artwork that might emerge from this. The ability to feel the beauty and the pathos of the world at this time of pandemic, upheaval and uncertainty has provided a starting point for a creative expression of this theme. Nature and the small things in life continue to provide solace to many, and artworks that are bold and beautiful in colour and form, bold in ideas, can also provide us all with something to reflect on and enjoy.
‘A Stitch in Time’ – The Solo Space.
Eric Smith has been embroidering in the Northern Rivers area for almost a decade now. Some work has been done in public- at Farmers Markets and coal seam gas protests- and other work quietly, at his home in Cawongla.
This exhibit focuses primarily on work here, but also contains some pieces from his former life in California. His work is primarily cross stitch and other counted thread techniques. Inspiration comes from historical sources, so some works could almost be a hundred years old, others are political or a little bit cheeky, and some are feats you didn’t know could be achieved with a needle. His attention to detail has won many awards at local agricultural shows, and even the Royal Easter Show in Sydney.
He believes that if you embroider an idea, it holds more meaning, due to the time it takes to create the work that holds it. Visitors on Saturday mornings can see one additional piece- the sign created for the BackYarder’s Table, the stall he manned for many years.
Both exhibitions will run until Sat November 28th.
