For some time now I've been working on quite a complicated design, and ideas for it came from several different sources of inspiration. I’ve always loved groups of animals – herds of deer, schools of fish and especially flocks of birds – and I’ve often tried to use them in designs. But it’s not all that easy. It’s not enough to draw each individual animal separately – that just makes for a stiff and rigid composition, with no sense of movement. So when I was playing around with using really thin layers of stitching as a background (as I did in the Klee Garden – see post of 13 November) it occurred to me that I might be able to use thin, transparent shapes of animals to suggest those in the background of a flock, and then stitch thicker layers for the animals in front. The vague background shapes (of stitching at very low density) worked well, so first I tried to put some applique birds and fish over the background shapes. But that was just heavy and boring, and ruined the lightness of the thin background shapes. All the same the foreground needed to be different from the background, so in the end I just did the foreground animals with running stitch outlines only. They were clear outlines, but because there was no fill or applique in them, you could still see the shapes and colours of things behind them. You can’t really see the thin background shapes clearly, but that’s the idea – they just suggest the vague presence of something behind the animals in the foreground
Realm of water, realm of air
I like the result, although (as usual) I didn’t get the colours quite right. I know it’s a bit “busy” but I like that effect, because it reminds me of the visual commotion and confusion you can get in a flock of birds or a school of fish. As for the name – well, it just seemed appropriate as a description of the combination of fish and birds
It’s almost Christmas, and many of us will be too busy to have much time to think about embroidery and design. So I will take a break from blogging for a couple of weeks, and be back in January as usual. May I wish everybody a very happy and peaceful holiday season
It’s lovely.
Happy holidays to you and thanks for sharing.
Beautiful! I am always inspired by your work. Thanks for sharing with us and have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
That *is* a big panel! I love the fish and birds and the effect you created. The running stitch outlining the foreground animals is just the right touch.
Have a wonderful Christmas and an inspirational New Year!
I like it, it reminds me of birds flying low over the ocean with lots of fish. Thank you for how you came up with the design.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. May your new year be bright and inspirational.
The techniques you create in embroidery are always inspirational. Thank you for sharing another piece of your spectacular embroidery artwork with us. I love the color palette that you used. The colors in the background just seem to melt and flow into each other. Wishing you and your family a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Gail
I love it, great idea!
Lovely and amazing! Thank you and have a happy holiday season!
What imagination, and to carry it through with the faint birds in the background is really stunning. Makes me want to see and touch it in person. Thanks for sharing with all of us (mere mortals!) Happy holidays! — Sunny
Well, after your trial and errors…By, George I think you got it right this time…the school of fish and the flock of birds are all there, and it looks wonderful…great creative vision – and a wonderful Work of Art, you have completed!
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…Have you been Naughty or Nice???
HO!HO!HO!
Your work always intrigues me. You have done a great job on a complicated piece.
Merry Christmas.
Jane in Kansas
J’aime retrouver vos essais au fil du temps
Je vous souhaite une belle fin d’année 2015
A bientôt pour 2016