Painting with Thread: Portraiture and Still Life with Nicole O’Loughlin
November 27 2026 @ 9:30 AM - November 29 2026 @ 4:30 PM
$360.00
Nicole O’Loughlin is a multidisciplinary artist who predominantly works in textiles. Using traditional media in a contemporary context, Nicole challenges the idea of craft and pushes back against the industrialisation of the handmade. Her variety of skills inform her work and direct the shape the art will take, allowing for a dynamic and shifting arts practice.
Nicole’s work has been profiled both nationally and internationally, through Embroidery Magazine UK, Textile Art Site and Textile Forum Australia. Her textile practice has been recognised through numerous awards and commendations, including winning the 2023 Henry Jones Art Prize for Mixed Media, the 2021 Packers Prize at Hadley’s Art Prize, and the 2020 Paul Guest People’s Choice Award. She has been a finalist in major national awards across drawing, portraiture, and contemporary practice for over a decade. Just recently, Nicole’s work was one of 40 selected for the prestigious Lester Prize in Portraiture in WA.
Nicole received a PhD in 2025 in Creative Arts and Health from the University of Tasmania and is an Associate Lecturer in Creative Arts, teaching into the drawing and printmaking studio, as well as Creative Arts and Health units.
Workshop Overview
Working in hand embroidery, Nicole will teach you the skills of working in portraiture whether that be self-portraiture, a portrait of someone else or working with a still life composition to represent a portrait of someone. Nicole will guide attendees through the process of working from photos, drawing up the design for reference, selecting colours and deciding on stitch directions (for anatomical structure), as well as how to transfer designs to material for the embroidery.
Throughout the three days she will guide individual projects to make a start on a portrait, laying down the foundations so that you will be able to continue beyond the workshop.
Skills you will learn:
- Working from a reference photo – sourcing your own, tips on lighting and using high-quality photos
- Drawing up designs to think through the stitching lines and contrast
- Transferring to backing materials – various options depending on materials and final use
- Tonal studies and recommendations for thread colour use for shadows, mid tones and highlights referencing different skin colours
- Stitches to use for thread painting in portraiture.
Inspiration from Nicole
What to bring:
- A full list of requirements will be sent to each participant prior to the workshop
- Nicole will provide tracing paper, cartridge paper and graphite pencils for use during workshop, plus an instruction & tips booklet to take away
Please note:
- Workshop bookings are subject to our refund policy
Finding and Parking at Moonah Arts Centre
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