Liz Scobie has been involved in the Arts and Crafts industry for the past four decades, both as a practicing artist and an educator.
She lives in the bush, on the mid north coast of NSW, not far from the tourist town of Coffs Harbour, where in the 1980’s Liz and late her husband Neil built their home with a large workshop for Neil and studio for Liz.Throughout the 1980’s Liz focused on her textiles and fibre art. However in 1993 Liz designed what was going to be a one off series of designs, painted on Neil’s turned bowls. They were so well received that the theme has continued with Neil and Liz collaborating in many exhibitions and producing a series of painted platters for the Australian gallery market. For many years the painted woodwork was in such demand it dominated her creative life. But in recent years she has managed to return more to textiles. Creating a more enjoyable balance. The collaboration with Neil and his woodwork. Has been an important part of Liz's practice and continued through to textiles and functional pieces such as screens, lamps and boxes as well as more artistic exhibition works.
Although some might see these two practices as diverse, Liz sees them both as the process of building layers. A similar process with different mediums that yields different results and with each practice constantly influencing the other practice. Her textile work explores a more three dimensional approach to embroidery; whether she is working on three dimensional objects like furniture, box’s and books or actually building up dimension with fabric, fibre and thread, to create texture or dimension with applique’.
Liz has always been involved in education, teaching techniques and spreading her love of textiles, both via teaching, as well as writing for magazines. Focusing on everything from machine embroidery to decorative techniques for woodworking. She now teaches workshops in fibre arts predominantly creative machine embroidery workshops to both adults and high school Textile and Design students. She also conducts workshops in painted and decorated finishes for both textile artists and woodworkers.
In her workshops her love of textiles is contagious. She is able to inspire and bring out the best of her student's own creative ability. Ability that they often don’t realize they possess.
As a practicing artist she is now focusing on her textile art.
Making Flowers from FabricSee how to make a range of flowers using a variety of fabrics and techniques. These techniques will include Machine embroidery on water soluble fabric, 3 D appliqué, even non stitch methods using fabric burning.
Using layered fabrics stitched together with simple machine embroidery techniques to create your own designs and art work.
Crazy PatchworkLearn how to create crazy patchwork using a variety of fast and easy machine piecing methods. Then embellish with trims and stitching using machine or hand embroidery
