Hattie & Spence by Bev Grace

Minnesota has dark winter days. In 2001 I was in deep depression, as dark as the days; so, as therapy I started to needlepoint. It changed my life!

I stitched, studied and with NAN member and fantastic teacher, Marlene Doak, drew upon my art background to create original work by October of that same year, 2001.

The first original was taken from a photograph of my Husband, Tom and my Sealyham Terriers, a breed not well known but one I’ve shown in the "ring" and even raised two litters of puppies.

Using a random long and short stitch, I was able to create musculature in the dogs, then, surrounding our two pets in ribbon flowers, a walk and a birch tree. The autumn-like hills completed the scene and paved the way for more originals.