Danielle Clough is a storyteller with a needle and thread. She weaves vibrant colours and intricate textures into works that radiate energy and emotion. Working from her evolving studio space, Danielle’s journey into textiles has been anything but conventional. With a background in live visuals and music events, her creative path took a fascinating turn into the meditative world of hand embroidery—a slower, tactile artform that perfectly contrasts her earlier, fast-paced work.
Celebrated for her bold and unapologetic use of colour, Danielle’s pieces explore the interplay of light, shadow, and texture. Her standout creation, Honey, featured in the recent CODA Collective exhibition, exemplifies her mastery. Stitched on needlepoint canvas with wool, cotton, silk, and bamboo yarn, the portrait captures a striking interplay of light and shadow while celebrating the magic of thread. Always pushing the boundaries of textile art, Danielle’s innovative projects include an ongoing collaboration to create fully embellished boxing gloves, further showcasing her playful yet meticulous approach.
Danielle’s creativity is deeply rooted in her personal experiences, from childhood memories of crafting with her mother to the experimental techniques she honed through film photography. Her “colour language” is unmistakable—drawing from the vivid, distorted hues of expired film and finding beauty in colours that might initially feel overwhelming or unconventional.
In this interview, Danielle offers an intimate look at her artistic process, her reflections on overcoming creative blocks, and her advice for cultivating inspiration. Whether sharing the power of boredom or encouraging artists to embrace their unique creative journeys, her insights are both practical and deeply inspiring.
As Danielle prepares to launch the next chapter of her artistic career with a revamped workspace, new projects, and exciting exhibitions on the horizon, she continues to stitch a world where thread and colour come alive in remarkable ways. Join us as she shares her journey, offering a vibrant tapestry of ideas for artists, students, and anyone looking to stitch their own story.
Danielle Clough
“I believe everyone has a unique colour language. It’s evident in the colours in your cupboard and the ones that jump out at you in daily life. The trick is leaning into the colours that bring you joy”
What are you currently working on?
At the moment I am working on putting together my new studio, which is a much-needed pace shift after wrapping up a big project (which is much more exciting to talk about!). Three friends and I put together a group called CODA Collective. We launched the collective with an exhibition. The show was a way for us to recreate the gallery experience. Different from a white wall gallery; It was full of colour, we hosted workshops and even had an art raffle.
For the show, I created my biggest detailed portrait to date called Honey. Honey is stitched on needlepoint canvas with wool, cotton, silk and bamboo yarn and is 57 x 77cm. The work is a tight crop of a girl, with lines of light and shadow across her face. For the exhibition, I displayed the piece with threads coming out of the work and sitting below as balls of yarn on a plinth. In a room full of works of mixed media, I wanted there to be no missing that she was a celebration of light, colour and the most magical medium; thread.
I am also working with an artisan in Florida to create fully embellished boxing gloves. We have made an incredible (if I can say so myself) prototype, and I am currently working on the next iteration.
What’s your first memory of stitching – who taught you?
My mother will tell you herself that she’s not creative, but ever since I can remember she made my clothes. For all the preschool dress-ups, my mom would make my outfits and involve me. She got married when I was 6 and she made us matching dresses. I walked around fabric stores with her and felt so involved, that I was sure I designed the dresses myself. Around this age, my dad nicknamed me Spidey, because I was always making contraptions and traps with thread, tying wool from the stairway banners to table legs. I don’t remember the first time I stitched, but I know my love of thread and fabric has been a part of my life since day dot.
Your amazing use of colour is one of your stand-out features. Can you talk us through how you design and plan your pieces?
I believe everyone has a unique colour language. It’s evident in the colours in your cupboard and the ones that jump out at you in daily life. The trick is being able to lean into the colours that bring you effectively. I have always loved saturated colours, and recall painting my teenage bedroom in neon. Colours that are almost unloveable in their boldness have always appealed to me.
Over time I have developed my colour language in a few ways, but primarily it has been through film photography. Using cheap cameras, expired film and alternative processing methods, I found such love in the distortion of colours. How something technically ‘wrong’ can hold so much delight and feeling.
I map out my photograph or collage onto fabric and essentially ‘colour it in’ with the colours that feel right to me in short and long stitches. I mostly reference black and white photographs. The trick is to focus on the right values over the right colours. The black and white photos also give me space to not have to choose the accurate, or perfect colour, but give me the freedom to use the one that I am excited about.
As someone who previously worked with live visuals and music events, the change to hand embroidery is a big step and a much slower one! What prompted you to make the move?
At the time I was Vj-ing, I was bound by the hyphen; photography, design, waitressing, plush toy making, live visuals and needlework. In the day, I would work one of my jobs or, as a hobby, sew. At night I worked at parties or festivals and a VJ. As the embroidery grew, the other things had less space. Eventually hung up my apron, APC (the thingy with the buttons) and had to leave my design work. I still have a part of me that thinks I’ll be back on the visuals in the future – but that’s for another chapter.
Do you have any words of wisdom for our followers and students for when they hit a difficult patch and inspiration is hard to find?
You are not alone! It happens to everyone, so be gentle with yourself. Inspiration is like a flash of energy, it’s a fleeting thing. Cultivate your motivation, and focus on your meaning. It’s ok to take a few steps back (like painting a studio and shuffling furniture in my case) and give yourself room to process, instead of produce. Then, when that flash comes you have the energy and focus to move forward with it. And then move forward with it! Be proactive with your ideas. Some practical tips I’d share would be:
- It’s a gift to be bored. Put down your phone and let your mind wander. Even when you’re uncomfortable. Especially when you are uncomfortable. Trust that your brain is storing magic and give it some boredom to show itself.
- Have a plug-and-play space set up. Have some pens and paper, paint, thread – whatever – out and ready, so in that moment of a creative urge you can pick it up quickly. Remove the resistors that halt you from just doing and enjoying.
- Date yourself. Go somewhere alone. A craft store. A museum. A book store. Look around and enjoy your own company. You’ll be surprised at what comes to your mind when you are present and kind to yourself.
- Don’t compare your productivity. You are running your own race, at your own pace. Just make sure you are moving forward.
What artists inspire you?
If I had to sit at dinner with a favourite artist, it would be with Bisa Butler, the quilter. Bisa is a queen at her craft, as an artist and as a role model of women marching through the art world (I mean this literally! She led a marching band and massive crowd into her last show). I had the honour of being on a talk panel with her so can say that her company is as vibrant as her work.
What’s next for you?
I have just wrapped up building the CODA collective and exhibiting. Now, I’m focusing more on photography while building a larger collection of embroidered work, inspired by the pieces Honey and Sascha of the Sun from the CODA show.
I have two exhibitions coming up in 2025. The first will be in South Africa, focusing on more abstract work in a show with Cynthia Edwards and Kristen McClarety at RK Contemporary. Later, I will be showcasing new work in a solo show as well as hosting workshops with Paradigm Gallery in Philadelphia.
My current personal exploration is working with an artisan in Florida to create fully embellished boxing gloves. We have made an incredible (if I can say so myself) prototype, and I am currently working on the next iteration.
I Eventually hung up my apron…
For more information please visit her website or follow Danielle on Instagram.
Key Takeaways
Here are the key takeaways from the interview with Danielle Clough:
Unique Colour Language – Danielle’s work is defined by her personal colour language, developed through photography and a love for bold, saturated colours that defy convention.
Creative Freedom in Technique – Danielle embraces experimental techniques, using a variety of materials and stitching methods to create textured, dynamic artworks that push the boundaries of traditional embroidery.
Overcoming Creative Blocks – Danielle emphasizes the importance of stepping back, allowing yourself to rest, and embracing moments of boredom to reignite creativity.
The Importance of Motivation – While inspiration may come and go, Danielle highlights the power of cultivating motivation and staying proactive with your ideas, even when creative sparks are fleeting.
Embracing Artistic Evolution – Danielle’s transition from live visuals to hand embroidery shows the importance of evolving as an artist and being open to new creative challenges and mediums.
