Artist IRMGARD GEUL was born and raised in Blaricum, The Netherlands, a small village south of Amsterdam. She completed her studies in art at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht and worked across sector in fashion design and visual communication. Twenty one years ago she came to Oklahoma to pursue a career working with horses, and, in retirement, has found her way back to art. She works from her studio located on a horse ranch in Pauls Valley.

Working in abstract compositions for years, a trip home to The Netherlands inspired a shift back to realism in Geul’s practice. Receiving a collection of her mother’s embroidery thread and fashion design implements brought back a flood of memories, and provided creative vision. Geul grew up sitting next to her mother’s sewing machine in her fabric-filled work studio. Incorporating fiber into her own artwork, creating the embroidery paintings seen in this exhibition, seemed like a natural step for the daughter of an haute couture seamstress. Geul utilizes her mother’s 50 year old scissors and needles, drawing inspiration from the connection these tools provide. Using thread and paint, Geul enhances the natural texture of each environment. The bright reflection of paint-striping down an empty highway or the neon pink of a sunrise take on a new life with each stitch.

In the exhibition “Threads of Nature”, Geul shows a mix of embroidery paintings and mixed-media, blending fiber and painting to capture personal reflections on the contrast between man-made structures and the unstoppable cycles of nature: the often overlooked beauty of a weathered water tower on a cold winter day, a yellow steel bridge surrounded by lush green trees, a ribbon of country road with threatening clouds, and a field of wildflowers next to a pumpjack.

She merges embroidery and loose thread with acrylic paint on paper, featuring mostly rural-inspired scenes and landscapes. Starting with vibrant paints, scenes are created that come to life with embroidery and the loose use of fiber thrown and stitched onto the painting. Each stitch tells a story, adding texture and depth to the artwork. The blend of thread and paint brings a tactile dimension to the scenery, capturing light, movement, and a sense of space.

Geul hopes to inspire viewers to notice what is often overlooked. “A weathered water tower, a ribbon of country road, a cloud-filled sky, a welting flower. They are my personal reflections on the contrasts as well as the commonalities of the two cultures that I live within,” Geul explains. The rivers, the roads, and trees seen in the landscapes of Geul’s artwork remind the viewer to take the scenic route when traveling across the United States. Every stitch the artist makes is a step back home, connecting to a childhood surrounded by the textiles of her mother’s studio.

Geul has won multiple awards in juried shows and recently received a Citation from the State of Oklahoma for her Oklahoma State Capitol exhibition “The Long Way Home”. Geul has exhibited in many group and solo exhibitions in galleries nationally and internationally. Her work has been covered by magazines, such as Oklahoma Today, Curbside Chronicle, Textile Plus, Art Focus, and was recently featured on Gallery America by Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA). You can find her artwork in corporate and private collections around the world.

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