Banburyshire artist is becoming a social media sensation with extraordinary embroidery scenes

An illustration graduate of Birmingham City University, Taylor Brooker, 28, paints watercolour landscapes and creates pencil drawings but her aerial embroidery is becoming a unique trademark.

"I was a graphic designer and children's book illustrator for five years before going freelance last September. Since then, I've been commissioned by people all over the world, from Banbury to Australia, to embroider their special locations, whether it be their childhood home, a wedding venue, or vineyard,” she said.

“For each embroidery I use an embroidery hoop, green fabric and a selection of coloured threads that best represent the landscape.

“I learnt to embroider with the help of the internet and completed my first embroidery a year and a half ago. My first piece was a wedding gift for my friend, and was an aerial view of the church she got married in in the Burton Dassett Hills.

"I posted this online and it went viral on Twitter with 160,000 likes – one of them being the US actor Ben Stiller - and started getting requests for commissions from there.”

“Growing up in the countryside, in Cropredy, I've always been inspired by nature and the idea of preserving a memory of a special place through art.”

Ms Brooker, who went to Cropredy Primary School and Kineton High School, currently sells her work online and receives commissions. These are often made by people who want to buy a scene for a family member, for instance a US resident who wanted an aerial scene of a Californian bay where his mother owns a beach house.

Each embroidery piece takes about a week of disciplined work to complete, depending on the complexity of the landscape and the size of the piece.

"I sew using a single thread. I did experiment with six threads but it made the piece a lot chunkier, so I keep it as a single thread every time.

"Before Christmas I got busy and didn’t have any evenings to myself. It can hurt your wrists at times because your hands are in one position. I have to take lots of breaks.” she said.

See www.tbrookerart.co.uk