What would come to your mind if I say "threads"? Probably, you would think of a sewing machine or something related. That is pretty obvious. But there is an artist named Debbie Smyth, who apart from sewing, draws with thread.

What normally a drawing is made of? The answer would be pencil, pen, colours, paint etc. But, Debbie has a different take.

Art has no boundaries and limitations, nor it has rules to stick with. All it needs is passion and creativity to be an artist different from others. Debbie's work is a fine example of that. She has collaborated textile art with fine art like never before. Her worksheet is not limited to canvas but she make the walls her canvas.

Her works are not only amazing to look at, it would also capture your admiration. The amount of patience and concentration the art work demands is spectacular. Scroll down to see for yourself and notice the depth of imagination in the concepts in our exclusive interview with her.

I am textile artist most identifiable by my statement thread drawings; these playful yet sophisticated contemporary artworks are created by stretching a network of threads between accurately plotted pins. My work beautifully blurs the boundaries between fine art drawings and textile art, flat and 3D work, illustration and embroidery, literally lifting the drawn line off the page in a series of "pin and thread" drawings.

On first glance, it can look like a mass of threads but as you get closer sharp lines come into focus, creating a spectacular image. The images are first plotted out before being filled out with the thread, the sharp angles contrasting with the floating ends of the thread.  And despite the complexity of the lengthy process I try to capture a great feeling of energy and spontaneity, and, in some cases, humor

I play with scale well; creating both gallery installations and works for domestic interiors. My unique style lends itself to suit corporate environments, public spaces, window display, set design, graphic design and illustration. By collaborating with interior designers, architects and other creative practitioners, I am pushing the expected scope of this technique even further.

I have worked with companies both nationally and internationally including Ellesse, The New York Times, The Canadian Red Cross, Sony, and The Dorchester Hotel Group



I don't ever remember not being able to sew, it was something I learnt at a very young age. My mother always mended our clothes so I learnt the basics early and I was constantly amending my clothes as a teenager. It wasn't until I did my foundation course that I really discovered what was achievable through textiles, sewing didn't just have to be functional, and I fell in love with this way of creating art. Then I moved to West Wales to study Textiles and never looked back ...

The initial theory behind my thread drawing work was to transform 2D into 3D.  I wanted to lift the drawn line off the page. Using thread allowed me to draw in space. I can transform 2D lines and planes into 3D shapes and spaces, giving me the ability to create floating linear structures. Also I wanted to use the familiar materials of the textiles practice but in an unorthodox way. In doing so, I believe I have created a new and exciting way of working with basic materials.

Having worked with these materials for some time now, I tend to see them as an alternate drawing medium. My process is very material led; how the thread falls or knots, often dictates my next step.
I like to blur the boundaries between fine art drawings and textile art, flat and 3D work, illustration and embroidery, as I feel exiting things happens when one pushes the limits of a discipline or material. If I can keep  exciting myself by what I do, I hope I can continue to excite others.

3. How would you address your work as, a profession or your passion?

Both, sometimes I get really repetitive jobs which are not that enjoyable but are needed in order to make a living. And then other time I get a a really challenging commission and that's where my passion lies. I love how with these commissions, everything is new. I love problem solving, designing really unusual pieces, working with interesting clients and experimenting with unorthodox ways of working in new places.

4. Where do you draw the inspiration to work from? How the concept of each drawing is conceived?

My artworks are often inspired by memories. I love searching out imagery and recording events, be it by drawing or photographing situations, to bring this memory back to life in a piece of art. I like to give a new lease of life to often ignored aspects of our life.

Also as lot of my work is commissioned, the client will give me a starting point which I will thoroughly research and then run with it.

My favorite inspiration is when a site speaks to you. For example, 'In Full Swing' is a quirky response to the unusual gallery space at Prema;

"When first visiting the gallery, I was struck by how the hexagonal room felt it was rotating due to its shape and the movement of light in the space throughout the day. The nostalgic appeal of whirling, blurring, and twirling for no goal or reason, which most of us can relate to, filled me with excitement."
Using nearly 500g of steel pins, 2000+ staples and copious amounts of yarn, In Full Swing, is an attempt to recreate the tangible rush of a swing carousel. A static pattern stuck to the wall perhaps, yet this playful intervention is full of life; capturing joyous movement by the unusual use of material.



I try to treat my practice like a 9-5 job, so I can have a life outside of making. However this is often not the case.

Over the years, I have gained much experience in time management. I make a plan and stick to it for most commissions (unless something goes drastically wrong). As anyone who is self-employed knows, you need to be extremely self-motivated in this line of work.

I love what I do, and I just remind myself of that is I am having an off day



Every commission is completely different however the process stays the same. The intricacy and scale of the piece effects how long it takes but generally the processes I go through for each commission are the same. I spend a lot of time planning as when I install on site I need to be very prepared.

I deal much better with deadlines now than when I first started out. But generally I work very well under pressure. I know what I need to do, and how long it takes and I get the job done on time.

Time constraints with commercial work especially, are extremely tight. I also have to juggle various jobs at the same time and it often very difficult to just switch from one to the next.

7. What do you do to spend time and relax when not involved in thread drawings?

I think because my work is quite solitary, my relax time is quite simply just being in company of my friends with a cup of tea and lots of catch up chats. But my favorite person of all to relax with is my lovely boyfriend, Zac.

I also love cycling and cooking and baking. Also if I have any spare time, I try to return to my home in Ireland to see my ever growing family

8. Do you have a team to assist you or is it a one (wo)man army? What are the basic tools you generally require while working?

I am a one woman army mostly. I have roped my boyfriend in to assist me with some big commissions in the past; Zac worked with me to create The Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra piece. I couldn't have created the piece on time without his help on that. See documentary of making the Hamburg Philharmonic Piece here.

Also I worked once with a production team to produce the nationwide windows for Hermes in 2011, as the time frame was to tight for me to create them all by myself. Basically, I made the originals and then I taught a small team to recreate these to fill all the shop windows.

Often the construction of a piece can baffle me;I was good at maths in school but I never thought when I was studying trigonometry , that I would be putting it to use with what I do everyday. I  love problem solving and most projects present me with new challenges; it's great to be able to use maths to solve those problems  Or if that fails I call my dad, who is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to building and making things.

My basic tool are drawing materials, a hammer, pins and threads. I often combine in printed elements, either paper or acetate. This adds a different texture and can add more detailing too.


I would like to think I would still be creative as making things is my passion. I am undertaking a residency at the moment which is giving me the time to experiment with new materials and processes and I have to say I am loving ceramics.

When deciding what career path to take when leaving school, the two choices I whittled it down to were going art college or studying biomedical engineering.

10. There must be a long list of compliments you receive for your work. Which one do you cherish the most?

It's lovely to get any compliment on my work and I cherish them all.

11. Do you have an idol? Which artist you wish you could collaborate with?

I like the approach of these artists and I find their work very inspiring; Michael Raedecker, Thomas Raschke, Anne Wilson, Laura Thomas, Chiharu Shiota and Hilary Ellis. Perhaps it is their way of using textiles/thread/line in an unorthodox way that draws me to them.

However if I was to collaborate with someone it would have to be with a creative who works in very different discipline to me and who works with large scale work. I want to work really really really big someday. Draw all over the side of a building with massive cables and nails. Somehow incorporate my style with the architecture of the building…. maybe I need to find an architect to collaborate with

12. Do you perform any promotional activities? What do you do so that more people get to know about your work?

The usual, trade fairs, newsletters, social networking sites, networking events. Also I think my work sells itself to an extent as my approach is quite unique. Not many people do what I do

13. What are your future plans as an artist? Where do you see yourself after 10 years?

I know I will still be making but making what…..I don't know?

I always said I just want to be successful and happy with what I do. As long as that continues, I hope I will stay content and inspired. Also, I love being able to inspire others.

14. What piece of advice would you like to pass on to the budding artists?

Follow your dream and enjoy everyday!

Debbie, thanks for such an extensive interview. It was a great experience learning about you. Wish you good luck!

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