Enjoying the Work of Cayce Zavaglia

Cayce Zavagalia at work at home circa November 2010.

American artist Cayce Zavaglias considers herself a painter, yet has difficulty considering her work of embroidered portraits as painting themselves. The impressions of people are constructed using crewel embroidery wool, for which over time she has created a system of sewing threads in a sequence that gives the appearance of a particular tone. Cayce uses threads sewn in precise directions in order to mimic the way lines are layered in a traditional drawing with an suggestion of depth, volume and form.

"I still consider myself a painter and find it difficult not to refer to these embroidered portraits as “paintings”. Although the medium employed is crewel embroidery wool, the technique borrows more from the worlds of drawing and painting.

  

Initially, working with an established range of wool colors proved frustrating. Unlike painting, I was unable to mix the colors by hand. Progressively, I created a system of sewing the threads in a sequence that would ultimately give the allusion of a certain color or tone. The direction in which the threads were sewn had to mimic the way lines are layered in a drawing to give the allusion of depth, volume, and form. Over time the stitches have become tighter and more complex but ultimately more evocative of flesh, hair, and cloth.


My work unabashedly nods its head to the tradition of tapestry and my own love of craft. Using wool instead of oils has allowed me to broaden the dialogue between portrait and process as well as propose a new definition for the word “painting".

"Aunt Lin" - Hand Embroidery: Crewel Wool and Acrylic on Linen, 16.25 x 29 inches



"Aunt Lin" details from backside of Canvas.

"Garrett"- Hand Embroidery: Crewel Wool and Acrylic on Linen, 43 x 16 inches

"Elly" - Hand Embroidery: Crewel Wool and Acrylic on Linen, 14 x 17 inches