Gary Clarke was born in Tasmania, Australia. He completed formal art training before beginning his career in textile design, working for Sheridan Australia in Hobart. Gary's passion for embroidery was ignited in 1990 as a happy consequence of teaching design techniques to groups of needleworkers. He now travels extensively throughout Australia demonstrating his work and teaching embroidery and design. Gary writes frequently for embroidery publications and magazines and has published five previous books.