Elaine Hughes is a paper collage artist who works with vintage ephemera and stitch.

 

Elaine graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2001 with a BA Hon’s degree in Embroidery. Since then she has continued working creatively on various projects in the UK. Her label ‘Oh Golly Gosh’ was established in 2009 and now has a permanent home in The Written Gallery in York.

 

Elaine’s work has been showcased at New Designers, The Knit and Stitch show, GNCCF, MADE Brighton, Made By Hand and The Contemporary Craft Festival Bovey Tracey, as well as in galleries throughout the UK. She has also been profiled in a number of publications worldwide including Embroidery Magazine.

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Inspiration for the artwork comes from Elaine’s love of the quirky vernacular buildings found in market and seaside towns as well as ancient cities such as York. The charms of by-gone eras of the 1930’s 40’s 50’s also play an important part in the aesthetic language of the work. The text, fonts and graphics from vintage ephemera (like old tram tickets, maps, dressmaking patterns and such) are used to create patina and patterns. Elaine’s formal training in embroidery underpins her approach to how she creates each piece. Traditional techniques such as patchwork, appliqué and hand embroidery are given a modern twist and used to ‘draw’ and embellish each collage. All papers first undergo a variety of different treatments to give them particular colour, texture and patterns before they are collaged and stitched together.