More Woodland Graffiti

Think this is my favourite so far.

Don't have a name for it yet.

 From the First to this one

the stitching has become even denser.

As I stitched I was thinking of the holes

in dead standing trees

put there by the shy

Pileated Woodpeckers

and others.

All on a cotton cloth

left in our tannin rich stream for a few days.

Obviously wrapped around a bit of rust too.

Love those stains

travelling from top to bottom.

All quite accidental

Love not having control

Love surprises.

Right now stream is completely dried up

If it weren't

I would be out there sinking more bundles.

The pale colours that result are just what I need

for this series of stitchings.

Early Morning Fog

The only moisture we have had for weeks

is in our early morning fog.

We can't see much beyond the end of our noses

as we walk the dyke

and then we go home soaked through

just from fog.

Even the osprey can't see the water

from their messy nest above the Basin.

Woodland Graffitti

We live surrounded by Acadian Woodland

Where trees somehow manage to grow

out of rock-filled soil

Where the summertime foliage

hides not only trees

but camouflages

deer who could be just paces away from you.

and where streams abound.

Colour and Value

Thought I would carry on stitching the rusted cloth.

Wanted to try different colours and values.

It reminded me of the days I used to say

that value is more important than colour.

The new week looks pretty insipid

until you get to the cream on black!

Reddish Brown thread looks okay close up

but disappears at a distance.

Hardly notice the change in browns and beiges.

And of course the cream just popped out at me on the black.

Perhaps I have become a person of contrasts rather than

all the subtle colourings I seem to lean towards!

Oh, yes, but then it could just be that fading eyesight

of my senior years needs high contrast!

First Graffitti

Think I will call this one

Edge of the Woods.

I decided to leave a strip unstitched

and once I did that

the piece reminded me of 

The edge of the Acadian Forests in these parts

that look completely impenetrable

from the outside!

My inspiration or starting point
came from this sketchbook page
based on a photograph of tree bark.
It was way back in 2012 that I shared
this potential starting point.
So as you can see
sometimes
it takes me quite a while to get down to things!

But of course I never really follow a sketch.

Just like graffiti

I follow wherever my needle and thoughts
take me.

Observations at Sunrise

As we walk the dyke

My attention is usually on the water

For some reason I look left and up

and low and behold

not one but two eagles

are atop this tree

watching us go by.

The other one took wing

Just as I got them

Into focus!

Love this shape

As a stream wends it's way

at low tide.

Important in years gone by

Now just sticks jutting

Out of sticky mud.

Dye Stuff

There are great waves of Queen Anne's Lace

down on the dyke.

But am not sure if I want the colours they produce this time

around.

Should freeze some for the future.

Every day I gather the spent lilly blooms.

Perhaps I will explore what marks they will

add to some silk I am planning for

my black walnut dye bath.

And perhaps I will mordant this lovely

discoloured sheet of copper.

Tansy flowers are also now in bloom

Should freeze some of them too.

Rusted Scratchings

I have been stitching, stitching, stitching

a new series I think I will call

Graffiti.

Also been working on the finishing touches

on my latest journal scrolls

to include them in a new show.

Busy times

But still making time to stitch

graffiti for my scratchings.

I am working with a fine woollen thread.

Will write about them soon.