A.Machoń is a Polish Canadian born in the Tatra region of Zakopane, and currently residing in Toronto. Her main creative outlet has been sewing, tailoring and clothing design, (alongside her corporate career). Her recent work is an exploration of art therapy, cultural imagery and illustrations. In recent years she has taken on small client based creative projects within the machoń studio.

inspiration

The current focus of my “floating florals” illustration work revolves around exploring botanical shapes and colors. The subject matter of florals is inspired by the folk garments worn by Polish Highlander women (goralki) from the region of Podhale in the Tatra Mountains. The bright floral imagery, intricate beading, contrasting patterns, and regional floral subject matter found in these folk garments serve as a tribute to the rich cultural heritage and clans. Being a goralka myself, I am deeply passionate about exploring and preserving my heritage through various means such as music, dance, art, dialect, and storytelling. I aspire to share my cultural narratives through intercultural experiences, and continue to draw inspiration from my roots.

process

My “floating floral” illustration style is created by first photographing individual florals, choosing select images and digitally arranging them before illustrating them, in most cases digitally. Elements of the final image are either printed on canvas, painted on canvas, painted as a mural or transferring on any surface your heart desires.

Over the coming year I hope to begin exploring how I can incorporate the images on materials in the form of traditional fabric and surface pattern design, as well as larger type applications. The ultimate goal is for the process to lead me back to my first love of working with textiles, exploring along the way how I can bring the images to life using scale and dimensions.