Sharon
Lee Studio
NEEDLEPOINT
Canadian
Designer: Sharon Lee
a feature article for
Embroidery
CANADA Magazine
Winter 2007 Volume 35 Number 2
Why
do you design?
It is what I do. I think it is human nature to make things – to design
things. I want to leave something behind – something to say I was
here.
Do you also teach?
My first passion is art and design. I don’t formally teach.
What is your favorite technique to design for? To actually do?
I find needlepoint the perfect format for my ideas. As an
artist I can actually paint on canvas which is the format for needlepoint.
I’m addicted to stitching too!
How
did you get started?
After art school, my first job was with a small Toronto needlepoint shop
painting canvases. I didn’t like the designs I had to paint so I
quit and did my own. I spent some time as a graphic designer and
I was creative director for a Toronto Public Relations agency. When I
left in 2001, I returned to needlepoint design – it’s so much
more fun and creative!
What else do you do (work, hobbies)?
I can’t wait for spring to dig in the garden and watch the flowers
grow.
Occasionally I go to the Open Studio in Toronto to work on my etching.
Does your family understand what you do? Are they supportive, whether
they understand or not?
I don’t think there was ever a question of them not understanding.
They are mildly amused and sometimes curious about what I do.
What
software, if any, do you use?
I can’t live without Illustrator and Photoshop and my Mac. They make
the design process so much more efficient. I scan my preliminary drawings
and continue to refine them with the software. I’m currently looking
for a good graphing program that can import files to and from Illustrator
and Photoshop which I can use for the designs in a book I’m writing.
Each design will be translated to graph format, so I need a good flexible
program.
Do you have any formal training in art, design, colour theory or
the like?
Yes. My professional training began at Central Tech Art School in Toronto.
I was fortunate enough to be there just before the great art teachers
retired. It was Doris McCarthy who inspired me to persue my studies in
art history. I received my Honours BA from York University and continued
to study Classical Chinese and Asian Art History at the University of
Toronto.
What role does the Embroiderers' Association of Canada play in your
life and career?
I’m currently participating as cybermaster for EAC cyber workshop
programme. It’s wonderful to be in touch with like-minded souls and
see what inspires others.
What
about the Needlework Designers of Canada?
It is so helpful to be aware of issues that effect other designers, especially
since the process of designing and painting for me is a solitary one.
Do you belong to any other similar organizations?
American Needlepoint Guild
Can you make a living from designing and teaching? If not, how do
you make ends meet?
Yes, I think it is possible to make a very modest living if one works
hard and is persistent. Above all, it takes a special talent, a unique
approach and lots of PR and marketing to make a successful business.
However, I now spend much of my time in my studio working on the book.
Has the Internet changed your designing or your distribution channels?
The internet was one of the great inventions of the 20th Century.
It is the starting point for my research and through my web site sharonleestudio.com
I am able to produce a very inexpensive catalogue with international reach.
I’ve had customers throughout North America, Europe and Britain which
I may not have had otherwise.
What
time of day do you do your best designing?
Morning is best for me. Often, I wake up with new ideas. I go to the gym,
meditate on what to I want to do, then spend the day in the studio --
or puttering in the garden.
Which one of your designs is your favorite?
The next one.
What other designers do you admire and why?
I like the work of Kaffe Fassett and his contemporary approach to design
and colour.
What do you want to design next?
I’m working on new mandala ideas – it involves research into
Tantric and Buddhist philosophy, iconography and history and visiting
historic pieces in museums.
What fibers do you like to work with the most?
Silk. Silk takes dye better than any other fibre. Needlepoint Inc. produces
a wonderful line of silk fibre that is so easy to use. And Eterna silk
has amazingly beautiful silk floss. When stitched it looks like tiny beads
that glow with pure colour.
Are there other techniques that you want to explore?
I want to incorporate new fibres and materials into my work. Although
I must say I’m a purist when it comes to stitching. I prefer to stitch
in a simple basketweave stitch and not use a variety of stitches just
for the
sake
of having that variety. They must always add to the overall integrity
of the design. One must be careful not to overdo it unless one is very
skilled and creative. For me, the design is first and formost. The method
of execution is second. Although I’d like to explore the techniques
of goldwork and three dimensional embroidery.
What do you wish stitchers would tell you?
I love it when stitchers tell me what they want – to be creative
with other people’s ideas.
What would you like to tell stitchers?
Have fun with colours, fibres and stitches. With the current rennaissance
of …
My canvases are only a beginning for the creative stitching process. Then
again, if you don’t want to, just follow the colours and you will
have a beautiful finished product.
What issues do you think are important in the needlework community
in the 21st century?
Continuation of the art forms – it’s important to hand down
our traditions and skills to the younger generation -- especially now.
It is important to document the process and techniques we use today. Needlework
can be a wonderfully meditative and rewarding pastime in this technological
age.
How do you design?
The design process is so much more than thinking up new ideas. I do a
lot of research since many of my pieces are adapted from historical art
works. A piece has to be true to the time and place which inspired it.
Generally, I work backwards. An idea evolves in my mind, complete with
details and colours.
It is a process of visualizing the ideas by transferring them onto paper
and canvas. However, during the process, an idea may evolve and change
into something new. Then it’s a surprise.
Click
here for the Feature Project
A flight of butterflies
Sharon Lee is an artist currently living in Prince Edward County, Ontario with her husband David,
son Logan and dog Buster. Her inspirations are all things beautiful, old
and new - from oriental art to medieval manuscripts, her garden and the
creatures that inhabit the hidden world beneath our feet.
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