Embroidery Updates

The mixed media embroidery continues. Now, in addition to working the three silk panels, I've added in another painted piece which appeals to me because it happened almost by accident when I was dyeing silk pieces a while ago. The drips fell into interesting formations, well, they would, it's a law of physics as well as art, and the piece has been waiting patiently till I fathomed its next step. Here are two works in progress.



Detail of one silk panel to date, more to happen on this yet. And here's a closeup



Where you see tiny pinpricks, they're a neat discovery I made, that by stabbing the needle through the heaviest dyed areas (coffee, which makes a tough surface) I was able to make the effect of tiny scattered stars, very pleasing as I went.

Here's the bigger cotton sheet piece, which will be mounted on stretchers for exhibit. This is a detail of part of it.



And this is the context in which that detail belongs.




The whole thing will be worked as I go.

And it occurred to me that I have some nice transfer prints which I unearthed in the course of organizing the studio, which need a little something and now I think it will be embroidery. they're on very good printmaking paper, so this should be a whole new fun thing, which will probably feel exactly like sewing cards in kindergarten. My inner child probably suggested this one, mom, mom, look, look, gimme a needle thing...

One great big thing about art for me is that the process is almost but not quite everything. Just handling your own paper, or stitching using an embroidery frame, or spinning with the hand spindle, or rolling the ink before printmaking, the process itself is an out of body experience that you need to try, everyone needs to try, art isn't for just a few lucky people. Oh oh, here I go..better stop before I find I've launched into my official lecture on Art For All and the crowd arrives with pitchforks and shoves me off the soapbox..