Aotearoa-based artist, mentor, and author Fleur Woods has carved out a unique creative practice that’s as lush and intricate as the landscapes that inspire her. Known for her “stitched paintings,” Fleur’s work fuses the painterly with the tactile . Pieces that spill over edges, brimming with colour, texture, and a deep connection to nature.
In our latest podcast, Fleur takes us inside her creative journey. From discovering stitch later in life, to developing a highly intuitive, rule-breaking approach that’s as much about personal connection and community as it is about the work itself.
Fleur Woods
Textile Talk with Fleur Woods
Listen to the episode on your favourite podcast platform or click the link below to listen now.
A Painter’s Approach to Thread
Fleur didn’t grow up embroidering. In fact, she only began to stitch around a decade ago, introducing simple embroidery into her paintings and collages. That initial experimentation became a revelation: this was her form of mark making.
Rather than following traditional embroidery methods, Fleur approached stitch as another type of brushstroke, layering colour, texture, and detail with the instincts of a painter. Her self-taught style led her to break rules she didn’t yet know existed, resulting in a vibrant, free-form aesthetic that’s unmistakably hers.
Nature as Muse
Living in rural New Zealand, Fleur’s world is surrounded by gardens, vineyards, beaches, and national parks. Rather than simply recording what she sees, she draws on the feeling of being in nature. She is inspired by the intricate details of moss, the play of light in a rock pool, the textures of forest floors.
Her pieces often grow into rich ecosystems of fibre: punch-needled mounds, hand-stitched motifs, soft sculptural forms, and reclaimed vintage textiles all layered into a maximalist dreamscape.
Breaking the Rules in the Best Way
Fleur’s path into textiles was anything but traditional. Without the “shoulds” of formal training, she developed a process rooted in curiosity, play, and improvisation. She’s not afraid to use unusual materials, from vintage blankets to makeup sponges, all in the pursuit of texture and dimension.
This rebellious spirit also flows into her teaching. Fleur’s workshops welcome everyone from complete beginners to seasoned embroiderers, She actively encourages participants to loosen up, experiment, and find their own creative voice.
A Treasure Trove of Textiles and Threads
Step into Fleur’s studio and you’ll find shelves, jars, and baskets brimming with colour and possibility. She works with an eclectic mix of materials — from soft vintage woollen blankets and richly dyed velvets to pre-loved linens rescued from charity shops. Her collections of embroidery threads, wools, and fibres span the spectrum, often chosen for their tactile qualities as much as their hue.
Beads, found objects, and hand-crafted elements — like crocheted pods, stuffed fabric shapes, and rope wrapped in fibre — all make their way into her pieces, bringing extra layers of texture and intrigue. Even the tiniest thread ends, the sort most of us would sweep into the bin, are saved in jars to be repurposed into soft sculptural forms.
For Fleur, these materials are more than supplies. They carry stories, histories, and a sense of resourcefulness, transforming each work into a layered, living collage of textures. Combined with her painterly approach to composition, they form the building blocks of the lush, maximalist worlds she creates.
What You’ll Hear in the Podcast
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- How Fleur transitioned from corporate life to full-time artist.
- The painterly techniques that underpin her textile practice.
- Her fascination with texture and how she builds her signature “ecosystem” pieces.
- Why she sees teaching as a way of facilitating creativity rather than simply passing on skills.
- The influence of New Zealand’s landscapes and culture on her work.
- Her thoughts on embroidery’s growing presence in contemporary art.
