Spotlight: Alicia Van Eerden, Mixed Media Embroidery Artist

Alicia Van Eerden creates magical places for our minds to wander with her mixed-media embroidery pieces. Beginning with hand-painted fabric, she adds stitching, beads, and more to invite the viewer into the peaceful world she has created.

How did you get into what you do creatively? Have you always been creative?

I have always been quite creative and am heavily inspired and excited by color, texture and landscapes.

I took advanced art classes in high school where I specialized in ink and wash drawing and illustration, but two-dimensional illustrations always left me wanting more. More sparkle, more texture, more depth.

Regrettably, I didn’t study art in college, but after graduating and while pregnant with my first child, I finally jumped into embroidery, something I had been interested in for as long as I can remember. Needless to say, I certainly found the “more” I was looking for! Loads of practice, patience, and experimentation have brought me to where I am today.

What do you do differently? What is your signature that makes your work stand out as yours?

My goal is to tangibly bring peaceful worlds to life. I dive deep into texture so you can step through this magical window I’ve created into a landscape and feel the grass, climb the trees, and ever so nearly feel the breeze.

Fabric always lays the base for these worlds. Sometimes I use patchwork to create fields and hills, and other times I use watercolor and acrylic paint to create an ethereal beginning. Then, utilizing numerous materials, mainly thread but also beads, stones, wool, tulle, pearls, etc., I create pieces teaming with unseen life and tantalizing mystery.

I want my work to invite the viewer into a peaceful world where they are welcome to stay.

How does your environment influence your creativity?

To describe my work is to describe my creative space – quiet and peaceful, full of light and color. Most of my detail work is done during quiet afternoon hours in my home, cozy on my couch surrounded by plants, color and streaming sunlight.

All planning, prepping, packing, shipping, and business work is done at my desk (an out-of-commission treadle sewing machine) where I’m surrounded by my art, as well as the work of a few favorite artists.

I don’t have a specific space dedicated to my craft, but I have cultivated a home where creativity, play, and imagination always have a place, and this greatly aids my ability to consistently create and find joy in the journey.

Working across many different media, how do you organize all of your creative supplies?

I am meticulously organized. Everything has a place and lives there happily when not in use. I have several thread and bead organizers, bins, caddies, cubbies, shelves and baskets to keep everything properly sorted. Additionally, my rule of thumb is to refrain from purchasing more materials than I have space to store. However, I can’t say that I adhere strictly to that rule, particularly when it comes to beads. They call to me and are simply too easy to store. My only solace is knowing I’m not the only one.

What plays in the background while you work? Silence? Music, audiobooks, podcasts, movies? If so, what kind?

Although I enjoy the occasional silence while working, more often than not I am listening to music. I love listening to instrumental music, specifically neo classical and instrumental soundtracks.

I often recreate landscapes from the world of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and will listen to the soundtrack by Hagood Hardy. I also love Jane Austen’s world and will listen to her movie soundtracks or books.

Do you plan your work out ahead of time, or do you just dive in with your materials and start playing?

Rarely do I plan my work ahead of time.

As a rather compulsive person, a scene will strike me while on a long drive, while watching a movie or reading a book, or most frequently as I fall into the ethereal space between consciousness and sleep. There isn’t a moment’s rest until I begin the process of bringing said scene to life. I pull out stacks of fabric, cut, sew, paint, prep and then lay in base textures and color dump with thread. This carves out general shapes and perspective and lays the groundwork for my favorite part of the process, all the pretty little details and sparkle.

After the scene is set, I embark on a quiet and exciting journey into this new world as it unfolds before me. Many pieces evolve as I work on them, and I always leave room for organic and artistic growth, living ardently by the mindset of dear Bob Ross. There are no mistakes, and you can create anything you want here, it’s your world.

How often do you start a new project? Do you work actively on more than one project at a time?

I start projects as often as they come to me, anywhere from one to three a week. Oftentimes I will prepare three works at once, but won’t touch the next with a needle until I’ve put a fork in the previous one.

Each piece is its own world, its own journey.

The only exception to my rule is my large watercolor landscapes. They have very abstract details and easily swallow me up while working on them to the point where I am unable to see the piece as a whole. This has proven detrimental to the overall composition and feel of a piece, so I will occasionally create a mini landscape of the same, to pull myself out and begin anew.

How do you know when a piece or project is finished and needs no additional work?

For most works, this comes naturally. I can usually count down to the very last seed bead in a piece. I know exactly where it needs to go.

Occasionally I will cleanse my palate with a minimalist or abstract piece, and those are tricky to finalize. I always want to add more but force myself to stop and am always grateful for it.

Knowing when a piece is finished comes only from loads of trial and error, and lots of practice.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work? 

The only way to answer this question properly sounds like I am giving unsolicited advice, but these are crucial reminders I repeat often to myself.

Always try new things. Do not be overly critical of each work, rather use it and its techniques as a springboard to better your craft and expand your talent and abilities. Create for yourself, create places and art that you love, art that sparks joy in your heart and brings light into your world.

And if you don’t feel like creating, don’t. Want to try something new? Do it. That blank canvas is your world, your story, waiting to be told.

How have other people supported or inspired you?

At the risk of a chuckle, Bob Ross has always been a bright beacon in my creative world. I have many fond memories of watching his television series and feeling so empowered and happy and at peace. To this day I will turn on an episode and watch it with my children if I ever feel in a creative rut.

My husband is my unfailing support and my little loves, a four year old boy and two year old girl, are my motivation. I want to show them that they can do what they love, that they can try new things, expand their talents and imagination and surround themselves with those that build them up along the way.

There is also a beautiful and unbelievably talented community of mixed media and fiber artists that I have found through my years on Instagram. Though I’ve not met any of these wonderful souls in person, I truly look forward to their work, their process, and their personal updates.

Where can people see your work?

My work can be found on my Instagram @vaneerdencollection where I post new works regularly and share my thoughts and processes.

Original works can be purchased from my Etsy shop vaneerdencollection.etsy.com and I am working toward showing my art in local galleries.