Friday 30 March 2012

Whilst I'm away for a Few Days


I'm away for a few days
on a shore quite different to the Fundy rocks


There will be rocks
but no rusty pups



The rocks on the South Shore
are gentler than here


So whilst I'm away resting from computers
but mingling with lovely artists
I thought I'd leave you


with a few cool Fundy pictures....
cool because it's freezing here again.

Thursday 29 March 2012

Marked by Nature


You would think that this piece of rotting spruce
with it's lovely earthy red colour
would have created the colour
of yesterday's moon.


But no, not at all
what it helped produce were these soft
grey-greenish-brownish
colours


Thanks to Grace and Françoise and Diane
I now use slow cookers as my dye pots.
They seem to maintain just the right temperature.


The markings are glorious
the colours are soft


For someone who tends to cover
everything in stitch


it's going to be hard to
stitch lightly and resist covering up these glorious markings.

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Shadow of the Moon


A warm shibori moon
created in a slow cooker bath
of pin cherry bark.

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Rocks Rock


Rocks rock
and it's a good thing I think that


because they surround us


Those we can lift
we often rearrange


Some gather in piles alongside
nurseries of baby spruce and tamarack


Meanwhile back at the ranch....
I'm trying to find a home


for a shibori sun


and a tiny piece of wedding dress.

Monday 26 March 2012

Colonies on Cloth and Tree Trunks


A week of fire and smoke 
Spring clean-up
but the eyes have it I think!


Textures growing around the wee bird


Stitches going down as randomly as possible.


Heavily ridged Ash 
great surface for random fungi colonization


though some prefer to march hither and thither
across Spruce bark


and this I presume could be dried sap providing protection
where a branch used to be.

Thursday 22 March 2012

Springtime Rituals



Wooosh
Spring clean-up
usually we shred
but this year there's much too much.
Brings to mind the beacons that would be set ablaze
all along the South coast of England
warning that the Spanish Armada was sighted..


The pheasant wondered what was going on


but was soon distracted by the potential of a game of tennis ball!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Threading the Holes


Working at just going where the stitching takes me
I've picked up this little bird piece again


Trying to stitch spontaneously on the background


Going where the needle and thread pulls me.
Trying to remain behind the needle
not thinking too far ahead.

Tuesday 20 March 2012

Daily Scratching and Scratching at Ideas


'Twas  a lovely sunny day for our drive up the valley to the eye doctor.


Reflections often more beautiful than reality
except when we don't reflect our true self
our inner child


Even the reflection of one's true but messy child
is something to behold
and boy is my child messy
you should see my studio right now!


My messy child is drawn to this tangled corner of the pond.
Nothing but a grey mass of lines going in every direction.
How to stitch it?



Monday 19 March 2012

Rockbound Stream Above a week of Scratchings


The babbling brook wends it way past
many a rock
sometimes passing by slowly and calmly


Some boulders case it to speed up and rush on by


Sometimes whole gatherings of rocks
force it to squeeze through nooks and crannies


Bursting from those crowded tight space
it rushes wildly into the open face of this
handsome fellow


who has been kept warm all winter long with a blanket of green and silvery grey.


scratchings tell the tale of a week that couldn't make up its mind
raining cats and dogs one day
blanketing us in snow the next
then another day of rain
A green strip for the Irish
Then silver bellied fish for a Pisces birthday.

Sunday 18 March 2012

Of a Certain Apple Tree and the Apple of my Eye


Us humans, the rusty pups and our friendly beaver
have all been known to enjoy the fruits of
the old apple tree up by the pond.
She's getting a bit long in the tooth
(the apple tree that is)


Do you remember the W palm trees in 
'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'?
She proudly forms half a W!


She has a lovely moss covered constant companion


Her bark is getting a little bit crispy crunchy
and evidence is building that
the woodpeckers visit her quite often.
Hope she's okay


and yet she still enjoys
stretching up towards the heavens

We're celebrating today the birthday of
a young man who is pretty darned well okay
my favourite of artists
the baby of this family
Happy Birthday
Mark!

Thursday 15 March 2012

Bringing More Texture to my Natural dyes


Playing around with my naturally dyed
on a thundery rainy day.


Arranged and pinned silks on the wall.


stitched and added in some wedding dress.
Really like this as it is.
It's about 22" square.


Threw it into the washing machine
and now it measures about 12"!


Tried different stitches
got different effects.


Tried different threads
got little specks of colour.
 

My favourite section 
of fine wrinkles
below those puffy rows.
If you want to know how
you'll find it in India Flint's inspirational book
"Second Skin".
I'm going to try for a gentler effect next time.