Finally picked up a needle

I have been caught up in other things and haven't posted much lately .   However I picked up a canvas work that got put aside quite some time ago and started stitching on it again - its working title is Daintree Dreaming.  It started life as swirly sketch which I photocopied and painted and the colours and leaf forms reminded me of leaf litter when we explored the Cape Tribulation area.  It is a magic place.   I have some barramundi leather that I have been saving and will apply in a couple of spots to bring up the texture.

I think if I keep at it I have about 15 hours work left before it is done!   Not much in the scheme of things as I posted a photo of the sketch in 2008!

I haven't done much drawing lately either - no pears or life drawing! Managed to get out my charcoal and do a couple of fun squiggles though.   I am practising trying to get dimension and depth  - I will need to add some compressed charcoal to my supply - I only have willow and when I try to smudge it it lifts off - might alos be that the paper doesn't have enough tooth - I do my drawings in a A4 visual diary

party girls

Finally started my canvas piece 'party girls'. Been held up thinking rather than doing and have finally got the background started. My delay has been a fine example of over thinking - I looked back on my blog to see what I had posted when I had the idea - I posted my initial thoughts and had drafted the cartoon of faces to be embroidered in 2009!

When in doubt I have sampled stitches on the work and ripped them if I haven't been happy. Some which looked OK done on the horizontal plane looked so much better when vertical and vice versa.

cornicopia

Designed by Diane Edwards (& my piece named by me) - with several colour palettes to chose from and instructions to go for it four of us stitched up distinctly different works by adding or altering the design and stitch guide provided. I got to play with different threads that I hadn't used before such as velour and a variety of silks as I tend to stick to perle and cotton.


Still working on an embroidered canvas piece inspired by an abstract painting I posted a while ago - it is taking me so long that the dimensions have been shrunk and I have decided to colour, paint or dye the canvas that will represent the night sky (so I don't have to stitch it!!)



In the interim I keep painting - my son has dibs on my painting inspired by a postcard of the Dali Lama as a child.

(yes, the wall needs a paint too- we have stripped the wall paper and need to clean it up before we get there - painting an art canvas is just so much more fun)

Cheers

more painting and stitching

I have been working on my canvas piece - it is slowly coming together. The colours don't quite zing in this photo. I plan to put gold foil in the empty squares in the blue block. I have started working to the right of the yellow block and will have to unpick as the co lours aren't right!




Painting has helped on the colour theory front. My apricots look a little unprepossessing at the moment but the beauty of acrylics is I don't have to unpick but can paint over!

I learn more about colour every day :-)

painting and stitching

started stitching again - inspired by colours and designs of a semi abstract painting I did in art class - one of a pair - to be one of three if I get another canvas

this is one of the pair - not the inspiration piece - I will post that when I finish the embroidery



I have really enjoyed painting these abstract distractions. below is one of triptych. will add them all another time when the light is better and i set up a tripod (rather than a tissue box) to photograph them


Cheers all

the month is at an end ...

it has been a busy month - been to painting lessons and was very pleased with this effort - every time I see water I want to record it it. I finally got an idea of how to do it in thread - though the sample below is small and rather close up I was happy with what I achieved and will have yet another go at an embroidered water scene.

Also been to sketch club off and on and came home and worked up a sketch with more charcoal and pastel.

The month was marred by the death of my daughter's kitten Chi Chi - who went missing and found in the back lane - hit by a car . We were/are all very sad. Chi Chi now lies underneath a newly planted azalea bush n the garden.

stitchers plus

I went to stitchers plus yesterday - not everyone was there - however, i missed last months meeting and it was good to catch up. Apart from a bit of drawing when i was away last month i haven't actually done much.

I have been think though and yesterday I was able to blow up a photo and draft a basic cartoon of a photo of my sister and I which I propose to work in canvas.

This is the photo which I printed out in black and white:

Here is the cartoon:

I selected threads for the skin tones, marked the canvas and attached it to stretcher bars. I should have a little show and tell by next month

Daintree dreaming

My challenge in the new year is to transform this into and (embroidered) canvas work. It started life as a charcoal drawing i did some time ago. I photocopied it and then over painted it. I have been stuggling with how I will transfer the pattern. The penny dropped - photocopy it again and cut up the copy for templates.

I have been hoarding some baramundi leather which I bought in the night market at Cairns ages ago. I am finally ready to cut it up and will apply it as well.

There is a lot of black in this drawing and i am contemplating painting the canvas with black drawing ink in some places rather than stitching it.