Category: process

next layer

October 6, 2011

next layer

And here is a tiny part of the center of the piece, showing all kinds of thing!

A distant tree is sketched in with just thread, and leaves stitched in. A pine tree is in the next plane (if you will) and waiting for stitching in the needles. In front of that is a tree with yellow leaves; some fabric bulks out each branch and stitching is used to imply leaves and blend the edges into something softer. And in the very foreground of this picture (but not the ultimate foreground of the piece) is the beginnings of a birch tree. 

I feel like I'm showing you the underpainting – it is crucial for me, but I'm not sure how interesting or important it is to the you-the-viewer. 

We are headed to see Cirque de Soleil's Quidam tonight at UMass. It is always odd to see these big, older shows in an arena rather than a tent. It… lacks something. Probably it lacks the tent, and the whole ambience that goes with being sort-of outside, but I can't be any more specific than that. I'll see if I cna describe it any better after tonight. 

rich in thread

October 5, 2011

rich in thread

I ordered a lot of new threads because I was feeling the need for something different. I love variegated threads because the changing colors help the piece work, and add depth without quite so many spool changes. These are various Valdani threads. (Aren't they lovely?) I've heard from friends that they are slubby and break, but I have enough other issues with needles and breakage I'm not sure I can attribute it to anything other than my own bad behavior.

These are leaf, pine tree and mossy greens, and a set of the Most Gorgeous Blues. I don't know yet what I'll use them on, but it will be something wonderful. 

And I started the next piece. It doesn't look like much yet, but you can see the sky, and the hillside the tres are on, and the puddles of fallen leaves under the trees. It will become clear! 

fall pond beginning

Summer Pond (with water lilies)

October 2, 2011

summer pond with lilies

Done. 

I thought about water lilies, but I didn't like any of the things I made, so we have lilypads and it is fine. I keep thinking of other things I want to do, in the same way that house cleaning can be a distraction from a larger, worser task. But I really have to make another of these sized pieces, and do some moderately good photography of them and get prints… 

the pond part

October 1, 2011

the pond part

I think I got used to smaller projects, that get done faster. The time this one is taking is not what I expected at all. Although if 8×10" takes about a couple days, then 12×16" can reasonably take longer. And take a lot more thread. 

I find myself composing smaller parts of this piece, as well as looking at the whole thing. I have more work in the upper reaches, but this part is coming along well. I would like another green-with-touches-of-red multicolored thread to work in the lily pads, and I need to dye some silk PINK for the water lilies. 

silk sky

September 25, 2011

sky of silk

I use silk for sky these days. I used to use various painted cotton fabrics, then sateen which is nicely shiny, but silk has a luminosity that can't be matched. I have several different weights, from sheer organza to nicely slubby noil and even some very heavy, drapey satin weave.

I have to dye the colors I'm looking for, which isn't hard. I have a handful of Colorhue dyes which are very easy to use. They work without  chemicals, mix easily, dilute easily and produce brilliant colors. This piece though, I used Inkodye which comes out of the jar a gluey, muddy color that develops in sunlight. 

If I wanted some control over results, the Inkodye would drive me crazy. But I like the surprise of the process, and the colors are always interesting. 

This is the beginning for a pair of pieces.