Quilted Painted Horse

The New West: Stitching Grit into Legacy

The Quilted backgrounds

These quilted backgrounds mark a return to one of the earliest chapters of my practice as a designer. Before embroidery became my primary medium, I spent years immersed in the language of quilting—its geometry, its rhythm, and above all, its ability to tell stories through fabric. Over time, quilt-inspired backdrops have surfaced in different series, but for the Vintage Western works I wanted to bring them back with renewed depth and intention.

Quilting has always held a special place in American craft. Rooted in heritage and necessity, quilts became more than functional textiles: they were repositories of memory, community, and identity. Each pattern carried its own symbolism, each stitched block part of a narrative that connected generations. In reviving quilt patterns for this series, I sought to honor that tradition while reimagining it in dialogue with the Western icons that anchor the collection.

The backgrounds are constructed from a thoughtful mix of upcycled vintage fabrics and hand-dyed bandanas, each piece stitched into place to form a mosaic of history and reinvention. The Ohio Star—one of the most enduring quilt patterns in American design—returns here as a vibrant backdrop. Its radiating geometry frames the central imagery while echoing the spirit of resourcefulness, artistry, and storytelling that defines the quilting tradition.

These quilted grounds are more than mere settings; they are integral to the work, carrying with them the textures of heritage and the layered voices of those who stitched before. In this way, the Vintage Western pieces become not only images of the West but also fabric testaments to the enduring legacy of American quilting.

The Horse  

This work is among the earliest icons conceived for the Vintage Western series: a traditional horse bust, reimagined through the language of embroidery. Horses have long held a central place in the art of the American West and beyond, serving as symbols of strength, freedom, and the enduring bond between human and animal. From equestrian portraiture in European painting to the spirited bronzes of Western sculpture, the horse has stood as both subject and muse—a figure at once noble and deeply symbolic.

Here, the bust is rendered not in paint or bronze but in thread. Each element of the horse—the curve of the neck, the contours of the muzzle, the fine detail of mane and ear—was hand-digitized and stitched layer by layer. Worked in rich wool thread, the embroidery carries warmth and texture, echoing the tactile qualities of hide and hair while bringing depth and dimensionality to the form.

The result is an image that resonates with the long lineage of equestrian art while offering a distinctly contemporary interpretation. Rather than a static depiction, the embroidery gives the horse a living presence, its surface alive with shifts of shadow and sheen. In this way, the piece pays homage not only to the traditions of Western iconography but also to the timeless fascination with the horse as an emblem of power, grace, and companionship.

s symbolized life, protection, and sacred connection to the land. In Western art, it has become an emblem of resilience, survival, and the enduring spirit of the frontier. By interpreting this icon through embroidery, the work bridges fine art, craft, and cultural history—an intersection where material and meaning converge.

The layering of stitches mirrors the layering of history itself: each thread a mark of labor, each pass of the needle a quiet act of devotion. The result is not only an image of the skull but an evocation of place—where wide horizons, dust, and silence meet in a symbol both haunting and timeless.

26x26x2 inches, framed in acrylic.