One of the things I like about this craft is that if you don’t like what you do at first, you can just go back, change it and try again. That’s what happened with this week’s design.
The original idea was to do three “portraits” of different birds arranged on a large panel. So I started with the three birds and put squares of loose embroidery behind them, to suggest the square shapes of pictures. But the background was boring so I put in a few leaves here and there and stitched the whole thing over a blotchy background of leafy green. Here’s the result.
Tree with birds version 1
Well, it’s not exactly bad, but I had a couple of problems with it. The green tree has taken over, so that the squares looked out of place. And those flat-footed feet were all wrong. It was as if the birds were just sort of pasted in front of the tree. And the colours were wrong too. I’d stitched them in different colours to emphasize that the birds were different from each other, but they were just too different.
So it was back to the computer. I gave up the idea of making "pictures" of the birds and ditched the squares, or rather I turned them into yellow circles so they’d add a little bit of sunny light behind the greenery. Then I got rid of those flat feet and turned them into feet that looked as if they could grasp the branches they were sitting on. Finally I toned down the colours of the birds – they’re still different colours but they blend a bit better with each other
Tree with birds version 2
It’s still not wonderful, but it’s better. I think I’ll let this one sit a while and maybe look at it again in a couple of months to see if I can figure out what else to do with it
I also need to give warning that I won’t be posting next week. Out of the blue I’ve received an invitation to exhibit and demonstrate at an arts and crafts fair, to be held in Brechin Castle (on Scotland’s east coast, between Dundee and Aberdeen) over the Easter holiday. They haven’t given me much notice of this so I’m going to have to scramble to get things ready, and I’m afraid the blog will have to suffer. However I’ll be back in the first week of April with the next freebie
This is a nice cheerful piece. I like the changes you made, except the green bird is a little harder to see in that color. What does he look like in yellow or gold, similar to the other birds? The feet and perches look great. I love the background!
Congratulations on your invitation.
Well I really liked the first one! Then the second came into view and I do like it better and agree with your improvements! You’re really quite artistic. Thank you for sharing these.
I didn’t think the first one was boring at all, then I saw the 2nd one. Wow! What a difference. The feel of the whole piece is different. The background stitching really adds a lot, but it blends better into the whole piece. I like the leaves/tree better, and the birds’ beaks are the first thing I notice so that I know they’re singing.
Mia, I also loved the first set of birds until I saw the second. WOW, what a difference. The leaves stand out more in the second and the rounds definitely add to the over all effect. I have to agree with someone else, on the green bird, I think maybe some light browns and golds would make him stand out from the other birds but overall add to the effect I think you were searching for. Thank you so much for again sharing your creative thought process with us. Have a great time at your exhibition next week-end. Looking forward to hearing how you did and maybe seeing a pic or two from your exhibition.
I wish I could see your exhibit! I love everything that you share with us and look forward to seeing new work.
I like the circles more! Great work as always! All the best for Scotland!!!
Good luck on your craft exhibition! Hope you take some pictures to share with us. I love the subtle tones of the yellow circles in the background to lend a sunny atmosphere to the scene. I agree with some of the others that some different colors for the green bird to match the other two would enhance the scene more. Thanks for sharing another creative experience with us.
Hi Mia, love your birds and colors. I really like the first one. The bird in the middle in the first design reminds me of crows and their body language when they caw. They put their chest down, tails up a bit and give a warning caw while bobbing their heads. In the 2nd design, I do like the background, tree limbs and birds holding on with their feet; certainly more realistic. Thanks again for sharing and have a wonderful time at Brechin Castle!