Finding Tranquility by Sarah Boardman

Chaos
Stress
Worry
Questions
Ok. Ok.
Take some time…um…let’s go for a walk, have a bath or go for a drive
Anything alone and by myself.
Now, think
Face the issues
What is really going on?
What do I think about it?
What am I going to do to solve it or help out?
Where do I go from here?
Phew, now let’s return and carry on.

This process of quiet reflection really helps me to achieve the calm and tranquility that I crave.

During my work for the exhibition, I learnt some more about myself.  
I learnt that I use my art as a journaling-like process and describe my life through it.  
The four new pieces are used in this way too.  
Mindscape – This smaller embroidered piece describes my need to be alone.  I need time away from people and during these times quiet reflection can happen.  I used white thread to show this.  Colour was added to show the thoughts that bubble up from inside when I allow myself time away.

Chaos – This describes the ‘overwhelm’ that I can succumb to when I’m stressed about different situations.  This is my state before the quiet reflection happens!  AHHHHHHH!
The white circle represents me.

Calm – The white circle has changed position after time/s of quiet reflection.  I may still be in the situation/s but I’m no longer overwhelmed, I can see my way forward.

Tranquility – The feeling I have when the situations are no longer bothering me.  They may still be ongoing but I am no longer influenced by them.  
It took a lot of bravery to submit an embroidered circle with nothing else on the canvas!  My original idea was to describe the whole process.  However, when I had completed the embroidery I placed it on the navy background and I just knew it wouldn’t need anything else.  I tried just to make sure by placing other fabrics, prints and circles around but it only took away from the tranquility and since that is what I was wanting to describe I left everything else off.  

Each piece features Swedish weaving hand embroidery.  The threads are woven through the surface of the fabric itself; neither the thread nor the needle pass to the back of the fabric.  It’s quite an old technique but I love to try to give it a modern twist and use it in non traditional ways.