More forest friends.... sunshine doe and a unicorn

A big "Hello" from Sunshine Doe!

The love is continuing.... a couple of new foresty friendy visitors wanted to pop on by.

Sunshine Doe has been one of those projects where I kept on having to add bits/colour splashes/ embroidery stitches....until I got to a happy place with her. Many hours later she is ALL about the summer...and I'm liking her alot! She's a keeper.

On finishing my first batch of foresty friends my teenage daughter was the first to ask if I'd make her one....  How could I refuse her request of  a unicorn ...15 years old and still believing in magic...*love* :)

So meet 'Legolas'.....aptly named by Maia....its all in the ears we've decided!

He looks so funny front on...... definitely elfin ears!

Lovely Legolas..... and a pink one is now in the making for the 6 year old who most definitely believes in magic :)

Hope you're enjoying the glimpses of sun and delighting in the fact there is only just over 1 week of  the World Cup left!!x

Bear unfinished....

I've been spending my evenings on a little sewing project inspired by some incredible artists that use embroidery as their medium. They deserve a post all to themselves (and completely show up my efforts!) but go check out  Hiroko Kubota  , Stephanie K Clarke , Tara Badcock , Kimika Hara .....you will be amaze-balled (yes that is the proper term!)

Its a 10 inch embroidery hoop to give you some idea of scale and this shows the bear 8 hours in...at this point I'm wondering if I have bitten off more than I can chew.

I got some lovely cheers of support over on facebook and with it a second wind to carry on 

12 hours in....can you even tell the difference?

This is where I am at now...around 16 hours later...... and I'm actually liking him less with the more stitches that fill him in. Hmph.....

I'm leaving him for a while until the next step becomes clear......maybe he'll end up amongst the many other projects  that were started but never finished .... however that's ok...nothing is ever lost. I walk away from this with the firm understanding that I work way better when the outcome is achieved under 8 hours! And I have developed an even greater respect and awe at the embroidered works of art I have the fortune of stumbling upon. x

Love & Magic!

I'm kind of in love right now.... and the most JOY-full of that "love" feeling is that is doesn't need to make sense in the slightest..... Now there's an opening sentence :)

I've been wanting to make some animal heads for a long time now, but couldn't quite get MY head around the fact that fake/fabric or not I would be creating something based on the idea that a dead animal head was going on a wall.... ick!
That was until active imagination stepped in (hallelujah!), and suggested that in actual fact the head belongs to a very much alive and  magical  (of course!) animal , who peeps in from some sparkly realm bringing with it a magical quality to bestow on the home it finds itself in.
Well....Yes! When you put it like that I can TOTALLY jump on board that creative adventure!

So let me introduce to you the new obsession  love  in my life......my "forest friends"...... *sigh*
This is Bernadette, bestower of the magical quality FUN and playfulness...

 Little Doe......I really do love her..... and the magical quality of Innocence that she brings.

And Mumma Bear Mathilde...who's magic carries the qualities of nurturing and comfort.....

I have begun something I cannot stop...... Love indeed :)

xx

Exhibition Part 2: a pair of birds!

This is Monty, he's a good friend of Pip's ..but more conservative in nature and thankfully both eyes intact...

though  I do think a monocle would look rather fetching on him!

And below is the bright spark of a birdie who spreads sunshine and blooms with her beautiful song ...

Thankyou all so much for your words of support and lovely thoughts towards me, my work and exhibition...I really do feel blessed by each and everyone one of you who takes the time to visit this little corner of cyberspace. An ether hug is winging it's way to you right NOW! .......

  Did you feel it?:)xxx

My first exhibition

Finally I have some photos to share! In the end I popped back to the gallery to take some to show you, as it turns out the ones mum had taken from the opening evening were more a sea of heads rather than pieces! (You'll see what I mean later) I'm afraid these aren't the greatest of photos but I hope you'll get the idea...

I have shared the embroidery part of  the pieces you see above and below before..here they are finished with a pencil sketch added. These pieces are the ones I love the most as I put a mammoth amount of effort and time into each one (plus actual blood on occasion!)  But they also hold every element of what I love ...contrasts, layers, colour and texture..and magic too! Inspired by the saying "coming out of the woodwork" my active imagination wandered to animals stepping out of wallpaper....I have fantastic bamboo patterned wallpaper in the bathroom, and while brushing my teeth often smile at the thought of a panda just casually sauntering out from behind the foliage! ...

"Peering through the patchwork"

"A kingly stance"

"Seeing is believing"

I've been sharing parts of the beach scene over on facebook...I created them with the idea that they all sit together to create the scene but are individual pieces....they make me smile..and keep me dreaming of summer! 

It's the most amazing feeling walking past a window and seeing your work looking out at you :)

There are 40 individual pieces of mine exhibiting, including some books and soft sculpture birds. You've seen some of the pieces before and I've saved a couple to show you another time. I have to add I have never seen my home so clutter free! 

Here are the heads I was on about! :) 

Despite  nerves, the opening evening was incredible. Its hard to put into words how whole heart-FULLY blessed it feels to have people take time out of their own busy lives to come along and support little old me. Actually makes me get a wee lump in my throat at the thought. And still the support continues with visits from dear facebook connections and sweet emails enquiring. Just incredible, and amazingly humbling. So so grateful indeed.

                              
What I also take away from this whole amazing experience (apart from the dodgy photo! ) is the realisation and celebration that I have achieved something  I once thought was impossible...so watch this space for the next " impossible dream" to come true ..yipee!
Thankyou all for sharing this adventure with me too.

Seeing is believing!

Silly me.....I have one whole photo taken from my debut exhibition!..so until I ransack my mum's camera (who was very proud and quite the opposite in frivolity of photo taking!) I thought I would share this piece and the stages of it.....

 

I've told you about my love of bears before..and I'd been hankering to create a piece with a brown beauty! My hankering is still unfinished...there will be more!...but this piece is one of my current favourites and is currently exhibiting.

The colours began quite differently from the finished piece....and unlike the way I begin most pieces, I drew a sketch first off , to see how the winged bear would fit....

Not liking the colours, I dripped and shlurped some tangerines, blues and turquoises...a different colour palette  from usual, but I was liking it more this time! Once happy with the background, after adding a cloud pattern using gesso and a hand cut stencil,  I went and bought some embroidery threads to match.

I embroidered the edges first , then began the 26 hour stitch-athon..squeezed into every moment of small child's back being turned!

Above we have 12 hours in ..this is the photo I shared and sneaky of, where I had you guessing who the wings belonged to!

15 hours above

Now I'm 21 hours in...oooh and getting so close ....

26 hours and finished. Hallelujah!

Next was the pencil sketch and a wee spray of artists matt varnish to seal.......and there you have it!

"Seeing is believing" on  8" x 16" boxed canvas.

As Gorgon Ramsay would say..."DONE!"