Village Voice June July 19

Kirsty Eustace
Our Cover Page Artist
Textile artist Kirsty Eustace came to the
New Forest in 2012, where she draws her
inspiration for the unique textile painting
she produces. When asked about the
influence the New Forest has on her work,
she said;
"Life in the New Forest continues to fill me
with wonder and joy, from the noise of the
waves picking up the stones at Milford
beach to the ever-changing seasons in the
forest itself, there really is a myriad of
opportunity for inspiration in this area.
Originally an Essex girl from Southend on
Sea...I have never owned any white
stilettos, although you may catch the odd
mispronunciation of most words ending
with the letter t...I grew up in a family who
encouraged a fascination with nature, both
through a love and respect of animals, and
the growing and nurturing of plants. We
spent our summers and winters in the
garden, and our holidays in the most
beautiful parts of the British coast and
countryside. This experience has had a
profound effect on the imagery that
inspires me."
Kirsty graduated from Central Saint Martins
in 2001 with a BA(Hons) in Print Design, and
she still has a love affair for repeated
patterns; Lucienne Day, Barbara Brown and
Mary White are among her favourite
designers of the past. She still can’t help
dabbling now and then with the odd print
design and she hopes to bring this element
into her artwork in the future.
Kirsty says; "I’ve had a thing for line and
stitch for the last couple of decades, heavily
influenced by Erte and Beardsley’s
captivating illustrations. I have always liked
drawing with the sewing machine to
recreate the flowing lines of a pen and ink
drawing. I’m not afraid of getting it wrong
and trying again, it is frustrating when you
can’t quite get a piece to work, but I’m
aware no one was born an expert they just
practiced a lot. It’s early days for me as an
artist and I still don’t really think I have cut
my teeth fully yet, but I’m constantly
curious and continuously grateful for having
the opportunity to try."
Kirsty's work can be found at
www.thelocalartscene.com
Please mention The Village Voice when responding to adverts
5