That’s my baby…capturing the intimacy of family life.

Artist Rieteka Geursen has created an intimate portrait of family life for a new exhibition opening at Newcastle’s Timeless Textiles Gallery in February.

The works in the That’s my baby… exhibitionare mostly thread drawings developed from sketches the artist has done of her young children. Sections are cut out and filled with another material to enliven the works with pattern and texture.

In the exhibition artworks, Rietekahas been inspired by Japanese woodblock prints depicting domestic life and also pays homage to a series of books for 0 to 3-year-old children called That’s not my… The books teach children about texture, body parts and objects, with each story describing a mouse’s journey to find an animal or creature or, indeed, his baby.

Rieteka’s artistic journey dispenses with themouse, instead focusing on her children, Eloise and Aidan, and her husband Frank.

“This body of work is all about me enjoying my kids,” she explained. “Since the birth of each of my children, I have been drawing them in my sketchbook, usually with a pen. This was to not only capture the moment, but also as a way to continue to practise as an artist.”

The exhibition is an intimate portrayal of the lives of Rieteka’s babies, depicting their everyday lives, the things they do and wear. One piece focuses on Frank giving Aidan his night feed, drawing the viewer into the family’s quiet domesticity.

On the influence of Japanese art on her work, Rieteka says: “The beauty of domestic life (don’t get me wrong, it’s not always like this!) is explored with great gentleness in Japanese woodblock prints. The use of pattern, space and the black outline has informed my approach to the exhibition.”

“However, ultimately, these pieces are all about the three people who inspire me most in daily life.”

That’s my baby…runs at Timeless Textiles Gallery from 17 February until 13 March.