SILKEN SHORE Artwork

Susie Hughes is an Australian textile artist, working from her home studio in Crescent Head. She draws inspiration from her love of the ocean and creates artworks that bring beauty and softness into a space. Her textiles are hand felted using natural, ethically sourced fibres, including silk, alpaca, merino, angora and flax. Susie currently exhibits her artwork in Crescent Head and Sydney’s Northern Beaches. She spent 17 years teaching art and textiles to children in Byron Bay, Sydney and Bali and is currently working on her ‘Ocean Blossoms’ textile art series. She also works part time in the field of human rights and spends her spare time enjoying a life by the ocean - surfing, sailing and strolling on the beach. “I’ve always loved living by the ocean. The softness and clarity of the water, the freshness of the air and the overall beauty remind me of the peaceful tranquillity that emanates from a delicate, soft blossom. Being near the ocean can help us relax and let go. I hope my artworks bring a sense of peace, tranquillity and harmony, like the ocean brings clarity and calm to those who stroll along her shore.” ABOUT FELTED TEXTILES Felting is an ancient technique for making non-woven textiles. It is a process of binding the fibres of animals and plants into cloth through adding water and friction. There is no separate backing fabric, glue or adhesive used. Multiple layers of fibres are placed by hand, then during the felting process the fibres become connected and become a single piece of fabric. Felt is one of the oldest known textiles. In ancient Mongolia is was used for clothing, jewellery, wall hangings, and elaborate blankets. It is still used widely today by nomadic peoples for their yurts, rugs and clothing. Felted textiles have the added benefit of improving acoustics due to their sound-absorbing properties. The artwork can also be wrapped around an acoustic panel if reverberating sound is particularly problematic.