"Into the Woods"

My first truly abstract punchneedle piece.  A larger piece than I've done before -- which was very freeing.  A test of colors and stitch heights and mixing and matching.  Of filling in spaces and running out of yarn and a kind soul rescuing me from delay and frustration.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this picture - drawing the design onto fabric and then changing it as I went along to make a better mixture of color and space filling.  There was no feeling of 'this has to be here or it won't make sense' - there was no sense to be made - just punching my needle in and out.  Sometimes a space was filled with loops only to be removed and replaced by different thread -- sometimes a shape was changed to make it fit better with those shapes around it.

This new-to-me journey is off to a start.  There will be much thought before starting the next design.  There are sketches to make and threads to choose.  I want to achieve a different awareness when I look at the world around me.  Perhaps I am trying to change my own perspective of a world which seems to have gone crazy.  Perhaps I am saying 'this is what a want to see - not necessarily what is really happening'.  If that is the case, so be it -- I highly recommend this type of 'therapy' to everyone!

"I am searching for abstract ways of expressing reality, abstract forms that will enlighten my own mystery". - Eric Cantona