Kate Hughes

Embroidery Artist • Entrepreneur

Beginning with a single strand of thread and one stitch, I create portraits and landscapes. I treat the slow process of embroidery as a mindfulness meditation, while processing the chaos of daily life. Over the course of days and weeks, I intertwine thousands of traditional and non-traditional stitching techniques to create rich depth and texture. My goal is to use the lengthy hand stitching process to connect to the work in an emotional way so that I can bring out the truest representation of the subject. - Kate Hughes

I’m Kate, the CEO (Chief Embroidery Officer!) of Kate Hughes Art.

Stitching makes my heart happy! I love making keepsake pieces of art that can be given as gifts, passed down for generations and treasured forever.

Following college graduation, I settled into a corporate position. However, my creative nature was waning. As a result, I felt called to the meditative practice of embroidery and I taught myself to how to stitch. I began stitching treasured childhood photo images onto linen fabric. Slowly, I developed my signature "painterly" style. My creations involve multi-layered, perspective defining thread sculpting techniques. Hence, my finished works are labeled "thread paintings." In 2015, I opened a shop on Etsy where I specialize in thread-painted portraits and landscapes.

I was honored to be featured in Etsy's Editors' Picks of 2015 and several regional art exhibitions in recent years. I have created commissioned pieces for dozens of clients, including a few celebrities whom I respect and admire. In 2020, I enjoyed a sabbatical from commission work to focus on noncommercial art projects.

In 2021, I resumed requests for commission work on a limited basis. If you're interested, please complete the contact form below or send me a note at Kate@KateHughes.biz. I am excited to create an original, one-of-a-kind, thread-painted art piece for you!

Thank you for stopping by!