Sailing to the Island
Which island? There are three. I know, always with the hidden meanings.
In the foreground is Galiano and in the distance Mayne. Unseen is Vancouver Island, the destination I was “sailing to” on the ferry, gathering compositions like this and Crumb Cottage on the way. But you can imagine you’re sailing to whichever rugged, fir-treed island you fancy.
The sky and distant island are painted, and there was a lot of background painting of the nearer island and water before I ever picked up a needle. Then I used some good old half-crazed, needle-snapping free motion machine embroidery for the rocks and trees. I let some unpainted silk show through for the bare rock.
The glints on the water are a combination of long and short stitches depending on the distance away, done by hand in shiny thread and sometimes in silk threads I stole from the frayed edge of the piece.
October 24th, 2012 at 8:53 am
Wow. Just amazing. I love the glints on the water…so realistic and the cragginess of the rocks…awesome:)
October 24th, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Thanks Mary Ann, and for adding me to your blogroll! I look forward to seeing more of your cloth dolls, they’re such characters and I never know what’s coming next.