Embroidery Artist Uses Dried Leaves as an Unconventional Canvas for Exquisite Bird Portraits

modern met octobre 18, 2021

Embroidery Artist Uses Dried Leaves as an Unconventional Canvas for Exquisite Bird Portraits

Embroidery on Leaves on Laura Dalla Vecchia

Spanish artist Laura Dalla Vecchia knows that you don't need precious materials to make amazing works of art. In fact, to find what she'll use in her artwork, she simply looks to the ground. Her ongoing series of hand-embroidered birds showcases a variety of different species that are stitched directly onto dried leaves.

From orange-beaked toucans to florescent green parrots and ruby-throated hummingbirds, she manages to render each feathered creature with incredible accuracy. Not only do the embroidered designs include the intricate pattern of the bird's wings, but Dalla Vecchia also adds light and shadow to the bodies so the illustrations appear to have depth.

Additionally, the artist combines twigs in her designs to make it appear as though each bird has a place to perch. Dalla Vecchia wraps a couple of stitches around the small stick to make it appear as though the creature's toes are clutching the “branch.” As a result of these many thoughtful details, the leaves are transformed from foraged objects into spectacular little worlds.

Scroll down to see Dalla Vecchia's embroidery. You can purchase original art via her website, and keep up to date with her latest work on Instagram.