Brenda has worked as a textile artist for more than two decades, developing a practice grounded in experimentation, colour and an intuitive approach to painted fabric and stitch. Her work has encompassed portraiture, marine imagery, cartographic forms, weather systems, abstract pattern and socially engaged narrative.
Her long-standing relationship with the ocean and the waterways of Queensland has informed significant bodies of work, while an increasing interest in portraiture has led to her current exploration of women and the stories that deserve greater visibility.
Wood’s practice is increasingly concerned with communication — both what is spoken and what remains hidden. Maps, statistics, codes, patterns and stitched text provide ways of embedding meaning within visually engaging surfaces. The viewer may first encounter colour, texture or pattern, before discovering that another story is concealed within the work.
Her professional activities have expanded to include judging textile art and quilt competitions, presenting artist talks and trunk shows, contributing to print publications, and opening exhibitions. Her work has been exhibited, published and collected, and she continues to develop her practice with a focus on creating work that is visually compelling while carrying a deeper narrative.
Textile Art
Textile is central to Brenda Wood’s practice because of its ability to hold both colour and meaning. She primarily paints directly onto fabric before introducing stitch, allowing the painted surface to become both image and foundation.
Her approach combines the immediacy of painting with the considered and tactile language of textile construction. Colour, gesture, texture and stitch are used not simply as decorative elements, but as ways of building atmosphere, rhythm and narrative.
While her subject matter continues to evolve, Wood’s practice is united by an enduring interest in visual language: the patterns found in nature and landscape, the traces left by human experience, and the stories that become visible when we take the time to look more closely.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Alongside her studio practice, Brenda Wood has developed an extensive professional role within the textile arts community as an artist, mentor, speaker, judge and project creator.
She is the creator of Workshop in a Box and the Rainbow Stash series — large-scale collaborative textile projects that have brought together artists and makers internationally, resulting in collective exhibitions and publications across Australia, the United States and Europe.
Selected professional experience
- Exhibiting artist — exhibitions and touring projects across Australia and internationally
- Published artist — featured in textile and art publications, including Quilting Arts
- Judge — textile art exhibitions, competitions and challenge projects
- Guest speaker / trunk show presenter — quilt and textile art events
- Exhibition opener — invited to open a solo exhibition
- Mentor and educator — workshops, online education and artist-development programs
- Project creator — Workshop in a Box and the Rainbow Stash collaborative series
- Community arts leader — building large-scale participatory projects that connect makers across borders
Brenda also runs an online business selling textile art quilt products — www.artquiltsupplies.com & 2sewtextiles on Etsy