Thread Paintings and a Passion for Art

You have a passion for art, and for encouraging and promoting artists. It’s been your dream to open an art gallery – a place to infuse your passion. But a gallery takes resources – a lot of resources – and it looks as if it’s going to remain a dream.

That’s when Maureen Doallas started conversations with Duc and Ly, two Vietnamese friends who are brother and sister. Duc is a painter and sculptor who owns a gallery and framing shop; Ly is a graphic designer. Maureen told them about her dream and they encouraged her and offered to help. Yes, owning a gallery is a difficult proposition, Duc confirmed. It takes considerable resources and a lot of business and marketing savvy. It’s not just about art.

So Maureen found another way and thus was born Transformational Threads.

I first met Maureen via blog comments, Twitter tweets, and posts at Writing Without Paper. It didn’t take long to discover her passion for all things art. She brings her skills as a writer and researcher to the art world, and as a result there’s no more enthusiastic promoter of art online than Maureen.

“I didn’t have anything close to the resources required to set up and run an art gallery,” she says. “I considered what I could do that wouldn’t take resources I didn’t have and that would allow me to work at home, use the web, support my desire to assist emerging or established artists, and offer something hand-made.”

Art licensing isn’t a new idea, she points out. “One can readily buy reproductions — from note cards to giclees (digitally printed images on canvas) — of all kinds of artwork, and many artists now license their work to keep money coming in.”

Epiphany

What Maureen hit upon, though, was something unique. She realized she could license images of original fine art and then – with Duc and Ly’s help as her liaisons – have those images re-created by hand in custom embroidery at their village in Vietnam, a village already devoted to embroidery arts. The thread paintings (also called needle art, thread art, fiber art, or embroidery paintings) would become art inspired by art.

Here’s how it works. Transformational Threads finds artists (Read about two of them below) whose work fits the thread painting concept. Maureen then negotiates a contract – assuming all up-front costs – and transmits the color-correct images to hand-embroiderers in Vietnam. Receipt of samples takes 8 to 10 weeks. Another two months is needed to create a 25-piece limited edition. Hand-stretching and matting take another two weeks once the edition gets to Arlington, Virginia, where Maureen lives.

The entire process is labor-intensive, she says, and it requires strong organizational and management skills.

The Pay-off

“Because the art is hand-embroidery, comprising many, many hundreds of small stitches,” she says, “it’s difficult to convey how finely done the work is via an electronic image. I always keep unmatted samples of the custom pieces so that people can see for themselves the quality and get an idea of how labor-intensive the work is to produce.”

Customers include individuals who appreciate hand-made art (Maureen’s primary clientele), interior designers of client’s homes and showcase homes, and those who cannot afford expensive works of art.

“The thread paintings are extraordinarily faithful to the originals. What makes them so different from giclees or other products that use licensed images is that they are entirely hand-made and reflect a centuries-old craft.”

In Transformational Threads, a passion and a dream come together. And the result is “beautiful business” – a deft combination of art and commerce.

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Bonus: What do the artists say?

Transformational Threads currently features the work of three artists – Jennifer Kassing-Bradley, Nuch Owen and Judith Olivia HeartSong. I talked with two of them and asked how they benefit from being featured this way.

Kassing-Bradley:

“The value of Transformational Threads for an artist like me is enormous. The biggest advantage is exposure. It’s sometimes hard to find other outlets for your art. This gives me a way to reach an audience I’d never be able to reach on my own. The thread paintings sold by Transformational Threads also allows collectors to get into collecting at a reasonable price point and begin a collection of fine art without ‘breaking the bank.’”

HeartSong:

“I started licensing images many years ago and early in my career. Licensing images is a great way to spread the ripples on the pond a bit farther as you work to build your name, reputation, and brand. When a company like Transformational Threads licenses an image, it’s an opportunity to have new people marketing and putting effort into finding venues for your images, and the PR can be invaluable. Maureen is a tremendous professional and has become a very supportive friend in the process.”

Both artists thoroughly enjoy working with Transformational Threads. “I never have to worry about the quality of the work that is produced,” says Kassing-Bradley. “It’s always more than I expect or hope for. And Transformational Threads is always promoting the work by way of website, advertisements and blogs.”

Close up of thread painting:

Detail, Head of Peacock (Crimson), Hand-Embroidery on White Cotton. Image Copyright © Judith Olivia HeartSong. All Rights Reserved. Courtesy of Artist.

Images of original licensed artwork:

Koi. Hand-painting on Habotai Silk. Copyright © Nuch Owen. All Rights Reserved. Image Courtesy of Artist.

Nerium Oleander #1. Oil on Canvas. Copyright © Jennifer Kassing-Bradley. All Rights Reserved. Image Courtesy of Artist.

Peacock (Crimson). Acrylic on Canvas. Copyright © Judith Olivia HeartSong. All Rights Reserved. Image Courtesy of Artist.

Post written by Glynn Young.

Tagged as: Business, culture, embroidery, licensed images, painting, Transformational Threads