A bird in waiting

 

The first of my bird designs has been completed.

 

It was a joy to get back to the sound of the punchneedle moving in and out as the design became a reality.

He now waits for a friend to join him as I move onto the second design.

We'll see where this journey takes me.

"I can't count my day complete 'til needle, thread and fabric meet." - Anonymous

Heaven!

This morning I walked into my studio to this sight.  The sun coming in through the trees, casting shadows upon my play area and the needlework waiting for me.  What better way to start the day.

 

 

I'm currently working this bird design.  Although its pretty laborious because of the small spots on his body, its working up well and I'm having so much fun plying my needle in and out. 

Because of the design I realized almost as soon as I began, that it would look much better as a 'reverse' punchneedle design.  The loops on the other side would not show the delineation of the design at all -- but the flat reverse punchneedle works quite well.

Stitchery and creativity bring me such peace and joy - and I'm especially thankful for this little spot in the world where I'm allowed to spend my days.

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." - Lou Holtz

"Earthbound"

I admit that my feet are firmly planted on the ground -- carefully taking life one small step at a time.  Sometimes I'm running, sometimes I'm walking and sometimes it feels like I'm crawling.  But this coming year I have determined to take flight -- even it only means starting out by hopping or skipping.  Perhaps I'll actually graduate to soaring before the year is over.

This wall hanging is my first attempt with no boundaries.  The name "Earthbound" came to me as I was working on it because I can see that I myself am still earthbound. But it seems a good first start on my quest.

I take a moment to thank  Barbara at PinelandsTreasures for gifting me with this lovely charm.  The brushed metal seems to go quite beautifully with the colors on this piece.

Okay, I'm off to polish up my wings and see what happens next.

 "Only from the heart can you touch the sky." - Rumi

"Spring Fling"

I'm taking to the skies with "Spring Fling".  I picture this bird floating along, beneath a puffy cloud -- aqua, turquoise and coral against the blue sky.  There are absolutely no grey, drizzly days with this fellow flitting around.

"Be like the bird that, passing on her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings". - Victor Hugo

Abstract Design

 Art by San Base

abstract: (adj) ...of or pertaining to nonrepresentational art; using only, lines, colors, generalized or geometrical shapes, etc.

I'm thinking in the abstract these days.  So far my punchneedle has been very representational - landscape scenes and folk art birds.  My mind seems to see things all in neat formal patterns.  A tree here, carefully balanced against the sky and the mountains.  Not that there is anything wrong with that -- BUT these days I feel the urge to just put color and thread down on fabric in all sorts of patterns.  I want to feel the freedom of free-form shapes, of colors that I don't normally think of 'going together'.  I want to start a new journey!

Art by Georgia O'Keefe

I've been using the internet and books from the library to look at what constitutes abstract.  I've found that some of the designs are free of any desire to convey a thought or mind picture while others represent 'something' in their abstract forms.  I would love to look at an object or a landscape and be able to translate it in my mind (and eventually down through my fingers) into an abstract design.  To tell you the truth I'm not sure I can do it -- after all these many years thinking one way.  Can I turn my mind inside out (which is what it feels to me) and make stitchery that doesn't represent something 'real'?  Can I create my own reality through needle and thread? 

"There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality". - Pablo Picasso

"Homespun Heart" Bird

I really thought that my 'heart' month was over.  But then I came up with this design and just had to try it.  Here I am, ready for spring and all things green and I end up engaged with deep pinks/corals and blue.  I blame it on Caron's 'Wildflowers' yarn titled 'teak' -- once I saw the combination I had to use it.

This is the first time I've used 'Wildflowers' for the overall bird (rather than just the design) and it was an interesting experiment because it seems to have ended up looking 'homespun' - like a rag rug that has been made into a bird.  I discovered some wonderful grey buttons that I could use for eyes. I'm now on the lookout for 1/4" buttons in various colors.  Who knows what will come next - but I think I have hearts out of my system for awhile.

"Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken". - Albert Camus

Road Trip

We're setting out on a small road trip - driving over to Charleston, SC.  We have been to Charleston once - in the summer - when it was so hot and humid as to be intolerable.  We vowed we would go back one day - when the temperature and humidity were more tolerable.  We tried one October only to have to cancel at the last minute because there was a hurricane off the coast and it was raining so hard that we would have been trapped inside a hotel room if we'd made the trip.

And so, hoping that the third time's the charm we head off down the highway to the ocean and the history of a very historical town.

For the first time I am going to be taking stitching with me -- in all my years of art/craft work I have never been able to take something with me.  Book art could not be done far away from glue and sewing machine and lots of supplies - beading could be transported but never seemed like something that could be easily done while sitting on the beach (just too many little tiny seed beads).  But NOW I have punchneedle and it is totally portable.  I have prepared a bird design and have already punched the center design - so that on our trip I will only be working on the background (which eliminates having to take 1,000 embroidery skeins with me). 

See you in a few days.

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living". - Miriam Beard

The "Flying in Circles" Bird

This colorful fellow is obviously 'going in circles'.  Round and round go the colors and surrounding them is a deep purple color. I suspect this is probably a pretty rare bird -- for purple and orange are not commonly seen (together) in the natural bird communities. 

My inspiration for this color combination (purple and orange not being two colors I would normally even consider) was this skein of 'Wildflower' cotton.  When I saw this I thought 'wouldn't I love to see this color combination flitting outside my studio window?'  For now I shall have to satisfy myself by having one nesting in my studio with me.

"Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever remains to them?" - Rose Kennedy 

The "Follow Me" Bird

I've just spotted the rare and elusive "Follow Me" bird.  He is hard to spot because as his name indicates he's always going somewhere, urging others to follow him.  I think this year he has had an easy time trying to convince everyone to follow him to warmer climes.  Most of the people I know, during this chilly winter, would follow him to sunshine and warmth without a pause.

I promised myself, after the first two punchneedle birds, that I would create brighter 'plumage' on future birds.  And so, here is a bird to brighten the day.  What a pleasure to sit here on a cold wintry day working with these bright colors and seeing a colorful bird appear beneath my fingertips.  Say the words 'follow me' quite rapidly and you'll hear the sound of his call.

"Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy". - Roger Tory Peterson

Welcome to the New Year

"Snow Bird"

Tomorrow we'll welcome the new year.  I love that as each year begins I feel like my slate is clean, that everything is a possibility, that whatever I did wrong last year will be replaced this coming year with good decisions, good thoughts, good deeds and good work.  Resolutions aren't really something I worry about but I always have goals I want to reach in the coming year, and dreams that I want to come true.

During this coming year I plan to focus on punchneedle and doll making as my art forms.  I'm excited and have drawings and pictures and ideas fluttering all about my studio.  Hopefully some of them will alight long enough to be brought into being.

Here's a big New Year's toast that this coming year is bigger, better and more wonderful for all of us.

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love". - Marcus Aurelius

Going to the Birds

I have always loved birds – and especially bird images. Thinking about John Audubon drawing the birds that he found in this strange, new world gets my heart racing. How patient he was, how talented he was to search out these beautiful creatures and then capture them for eternity.

When I was beading full time I tried several times to make a beaded bird. For some reason this skill eluded me. I would try for awhile, then hate what it looked like and tear it all out. I had bead upon bead that I had collected for just this purpose only to find that I could not ‘do’ it. Sometimes you just have to set something aside and accept that this particular challenge cannot be met.

As I discovered punchneedle that nagging thought of creating a bird came back into my head and heart. Once again I was trying to create my very own bird art. I used a simple bird pattern and added spirals to the body for design and decoration. The only challenge I had this time was when it came time to put it together. I think that my whole body was one big stiff tension headache as I carefully stitched the two sides together. But ‘spiral bird’ went together and I had done it!!

I’m not totally happy with this first effort (but don’t tell the bird). He seems too ‘drab’ in his colors and there are other changes I would make (such as adding a few special details) – but he is finished and hopefully he will be the first of many more to come.

"Would it be possible that I should not in any degree succeed? I can scarcely think so. Ah delusive hope, how much further wilt thou lead me"? - John James Audubon