Category Archives: Stitching

Leap of Faith

Mind Palace 1

I might have called this finished.

Mind Palace 2

But instead, I held my breath and lifted as much paint as I could outside a house shape that I had superimposed over the subject’s central features.

Mind Palace 3

It was my intention that by embroidering outside the house shape, the painted and stitched areas would stand apart from each other, yet still work together.

Mind Palace 4

The embroidery blurs details, such that texture becomes the overarching descriptor. It’s a quality I quite like – especially when paired with the untouched watercolor.

Despite the variation, the finished product still reads as a whole and I’m very pleased with the added dimension the stitching contributes. That’s not to say there aren’t a number of kinks still to work out. Taking this shot in artificial light emphasized the house shape to a degree that isn’t as easy to see in natural light. But that’s a puzzle for the next time around.
Regardless, the leap of faith was worth it.

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It’s a new world out there – but check out the following and chalk one up for the little guy: artists fight back against AI.

Who’s Really In Charge?

I have to wonder sometimes, who’s in charge – the artist or the art?

When I began my latest portrait, I thought I had a pretty good handle on how it would progress. Having already stitched the white background pattern (shared with you in my last post) I fully expected to layer more paint and stitching both on top of that area and within the house shape surrounding the finished portrait.

Preliminary sketches provide space to try out possibilities

Experimental practice sketches like the one above nudged me toward a rich stew of color and texture, brought to life by painting over the stitched white pattern, adding brushstrokes to mimic stitching, and finishing with another layer of colored thread embroidery.

The next 5 photos follow the progression of this portrait at various stopping points. I take these images because they give me a bit of distance after each session, allowing me to see where to go next. Plus, I’m usually so tied up in a piece during the making that it’s a treat to go back later to revisit its evolution.

It’s all well and good to have a plan, but you also have to be willing to let it go. This turned out to be a classic example of thinking I knew where the piece was headed, but ultimately the work itself had the final say.

Winter Garden 2

Once I had removed the masking from around the house shape, I had to acknowledge – despite all my plans – that the white-on-white stitching didn’t need my interference. It seemed to say everything I needed it to, just as it was. In fact, overlaying the background with more color and texture felt unnecessary and superfluous.

Winter Garden 3

Often, both the easiest and the hardest part of the process is to step away, trusting that sleeping on an issue will weed out any uncertainties and allow for deciding what will be the right call. After taking an overnight timeout I felt satisfied that my instincts were correct. Sometimes the best approach is to just get out of the way and listen to the work.

Winter Garden 4

All of this leads to two contradictory nuggets of wisdom that have proven, many times over, to be invaluable to me:

When you think a piece is finished, keep pushing deeper, and
Less is more

Of course the tricky part is figuring out which is called for, when.

One last word on the subject of portraits…I received the happy news this week that I received an Honorable Mention Award from Teravarna Art Gallery in their “6th Portrait” competition.

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Substack is quickly becoming my new favorite reading spot.
In his “10 Things Worth Sharing” newsletter on Substack this week, Austin Kleon linked to an “Open Letter To The Next Generation Of Artists“, written by jazz greats Herbie Hancock and the recently deceased Wayne Shorter. Give it a read; it will give you a lift in return.

In Stitches

While there have been other things to write about in my last several posts, I’ve still been busy with the stitched portrait I began a month ago. It’s time to bring you up to speed with my progress so far.

The eyes ground everything else.

As predicted, seismic changes are taking place as I feel my way along in the proverbial dark. Most notably the initial white stitching has been/is being replaced with threads of color. In some ways, it’s much easier to make a “reverse” image of white on a dark ground than it is to work “positively” on a dark area. As I wrote in a recent Instagram post, there’s a reason why people often begin with a light background.

The depth brought out with color made it a no-brainer decision to remove the rest of the white stitching.

With each step forward, I can see how heavily I am leaning on lessons learned through drawing, especially from my weekly life-drawing sessions. Watching form and pattern work together as equals is incentive to see what will happen next. And color almost seems to have become its own dimension, nursing other important lessons.

Even though the colors aren’t what you might call “natural”, I think they are what breathe life into the figure.

I am making a conscious decision to leave some areas un-stitched, letting one’s eyes and brain fill in the blanks. Doing so calls attention to the piece’s “stitch-iness”, and serves my aim to direct your eye back and forth between the image and the surface. Right now I am mulling over how to treat the background — exactly how much I will work and how much will be left alone. It should support the subject without distracting from the lovely fluctuations in color created via the dye process.

This appears at a weird angle because of the way my frame was tilted when I took the picture. The shadow of the hand helps to better define the face. If you look closely, you can see how I changed that shadow from the previous image. Also, the lips have been reworked and toned down.

So, there is still plenty to do, but it’s coming along.

Each new section covered pulls out the image more.

When drawing from life, I find I’m most interested in composing my drawings so that they include more than just the bust of the model. A more complete figure set within its background offers additional opportunities to play off some of the formal considerations I enjoy so much, whereas working with just the head and shoulders presents an entirely different set of concerns. This piece is an interesting stretch for me.

Can you see the area where I removed some stitches? Only a dozen or so stitches taken out makes such a huge difference.

I’m curious about your thoughts. In general, what is your impression of portraits of people you don’t know? Is there enough to draw you in and hold your attention? Or do you find you’re more attracted to images of people who hold specific significance for you in one way or another?

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I’m always interested in etymological tidbits. When choosing the title for this post I couldn’t resist looking up the history of the idiom “in stitches”. So much invariably comes back to Shakespeare.

in stitches laughing uncontrollably. informal
Stitch, in the sense of ‘a sudden localized jabbing pain’, such as might be caused by a needle, is recorded in Old English. It is now generally used of a muscle spasm in the side caused especially by exertion. Shakespeare seems to have been the first to describe stitches brought on by laughter; in Twelfth Night (1601) Maria invites her fellow conspirators to observe the lovelorn Malvolio with the words: ‘If you…will laugh yourselves into stitches, follow me’.

~ from thefreedictionary.com

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And, to underline the general theme of this post, check out this very silly link. It will leave you in stitches…

It Was Just A Matter Of Time

A couple of years ago the collector who bought “3 Pears” suggested I should consider people as subject matter. I’m not sure if he meant portraits, but at the time I didn’t give it too much thought because I was just beginning to find my way in translating still lifes with thread and felt completely unqualified to attempt a human.

I’m revisiting a mokume framework for this piece for its simplicity. There will be more than enough to think about without sparring with a dyed pattern underlying the stitched image.

I’ve done a lot more drawing since then – with ink, graphite, and thread too. And as you know, I’ve landed in a wonderful weekly life drawing group that provides lots of ongoing practice with models. The many benefits of those sessions are beginning to take root, to the point where not only do I feel more confident in portraying people but, as with my daily sketches, I have begun to see an element of reciprocity between the marks that build up in rendering those figures and the patterns of stitches I incorporate in my textile work. To some degree, this phenomenon reminds me of when one is learning a new language and it is suddenly spoken within their dreams.

The row of dots that run up the right side of the mokume shibori pattern are the result of the knots of the resist threads which create that pattern. They too resist the dye. It may be a very subtle detail, but I plan for their inclusion because, not only do they add an unusual graphic quality but they also underline the fact that this process is done by hand.

So, I’m ready to take a leap of faith by attempting to stitch a person. It’s going to be a big “we’ll see”. There will no doubt be plenty of groping in the dark, but I’m ready for the challenge and eager to dive into the lessons ahead. I’ll be bringing you along for the ups and downs.

©Elizabeth Fram, work in progress

In return, I’ve come across several items this week that I’d like to share. I hope you’ll find at least one of them useful.

First, a friend emailed this link about the power of art to influence in unexpected ways. Are you a fan of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather? Even if it isn’t your cup of tea, I think you will appreciate this story.
I’m always on the lookout for sketchbook suggestions. While you can never know for sure if one is right for you until you begin to use it, this review offers seven to choose from. I like the idea of the ILLO 8″x8″… perfect for Instagram posts and its 122-pound paper seems like a good option for wet media.
And for anyone trying to start a sketchbook habit, often the hardest part is deciding what to draw. Here are 75 suggestions to get you off and running.

Pleasure and Privilege

Making art is something of a ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card.

Yes, the stripped down beauty of a snowy landscape has a unique subtlety that many of us who choose to live where winter is serious business appreciate and even relish. But that doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes miss the full-blown colors of our gardens and of the local countryside that currently lie dormant under a blanket of snow.

©Elizabeth Fram Mid-process

There is rich privilege in being immersed in color every day via drawing or stitching or dyeing. It’s an advantage I don’t take for granted. And perhaps for just this reason, I find the current phase of this piece – defining the octopus with color – the most enjoyable of all the various steps that have led up to it.

Do you remember the color theory exercises comparing two colors that seem completely different, but which are actually identical? The point being that their appearance is drastically affected by the color surrounding them. For an example of this phenomenon, check this out. That’s one of the key factors that brings so much pleasure to this current process of fleshing out the image. Each stitch is influenced by the color of its neighbors, as well as by the varying shades of the dyed silk ground it is sewn upon. That interaction creates a visual richness that at times seems almost melodic.

©Elizabeth Fram, detail

It’s a fascinating process and somewhat addictive. I have to set a timer to remind myself to stop and get up to stretch because I get so lost in the rhythm of stitching and the desire to see how new interactions between colors will evolve. The wonderful bonus is that it’s also a great way to guard against any feelings of color deprivation that can often be mid-winter’s calling card.

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How is a parterre like a patisserie?

I’ve begun watching Monty Don’s 3-part series Gardens of France. Drawing a parallel between the 17th century gardens of André Le Nôtre, creator of the gardens of Versailles, and rows of glistening pastries under glass, Don acknowledges a French cultural love of formality that lends a sense of order and harmony and balance, coupled with refinement. Admittedly, what I’m seeing in the gardens he is touring and in the display case of Carette at Place des Vosges, is a far cry from my relatively undisciplined flower beds and humble cookie creations, but the spirit of both are equally inspiring on a chilly winter day.

June in our back garden: azaleas, early phlox, and one of my favorites – American umbrellaleaf or Diphylleia cymosa, whose white flowers transform into blue/black berries on bright red stalks, and whose leaves become a beautiful mix of burgundy and gold toward the end of the summer.

Isn’t it wonderful how culture and even national sensibilities squeeze beyond the boundaries of a given discipline, surfacing in the arts and daily life?

Back to Normal

Things are starting to feel like normal again, now that all the holiday trimmings are packed away, the thank-you notes are written, and the extra cookies are safely frozen — out of sight and mind.

©2019 Elizabeth Fram It’s a big milestone passed once the general outline of the image is stitched in. Eventually this piece will be 18 x 24 inches; the rectangular area is 9 x 12 inches. (Not sure why there is a reddish tint to this photo – it’s a trick of the eye, not part of the work).

As I sit down to stitch this week, it feels like forever since I last had my needle in hand. This octopus piece, that was begun in early December, got sidelined when I ran out of silk thread and my local supplier was closed for an indeterminate amount of time. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be to replace my depleted stock, but in case you’re ever in a similar predicament 123Stitch.com in Utah turns out to be a speedy and reliable vendor. Not exactly local, but great in a pinch. And, I certainly learned a valuable lesson about keeping one step ahead of my materials.

©2019 Elizabeth Fram This time around I’m making a concerted effort not to lay the stitches in too tightly, knowing that I will likely be restitching the whole thing once it’s been dyed in order to pull the image out from the dye.

Meanwhile, as December got fully underway, I began to realize that there are only so many balls one can have in the air at once. So this piece took a back seat while I gave in to holiday preparations. I still kept my head in the game though by reading The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. It’s a fascinating book that has given me plenty to think about regarding these amazing creatures.

And once again, I’m grateful for my sketchbook because, despite all the other stuff going on, I could manage to squeeze time for drawing in around the corners of everything else. So December turned out to be a relatively productive month art-wise after all and, in hindsight, the change of pace was probably a good thing.

But now, in these expansive weeks of January, it feels great to be back to a normal routine and to start to see this fellow take form.

On A Different Note______________________________________________________________________________

I am honored that my piece “Crescendo” was featured in Alyson Stanfield’s Art Biz Success blog post on writing artist newsletters this week. I hope you will check out the post, not just to see my piece, but because, as usual, Alyson offers terrific ideas and tips. Over the years Alyson has been one of my best resources for learning about the business side of art. Aside from her blog, her book I’d Rather Be In The Studio is a must-read for any artist.

Reminder for subscribers: Despite best intentions, sometimes technical glitches occur. Last week was another of those times. FYI, I always publish my blog on Thursdays, and if all goes as planned, it is delivered at 4am the following day into subscriber inboxes. If, for whatever reason that automatic delivery hasn’t happened on a given Friday, I will send out another email with a link to the current post. Yet you can also always head directly to the site (https://elizabethfram.com/Blog) on your own. Thanks so much for your continued interest!

Color, Please!

I think we’re all feeling a bit color-starved in the Green Mountain state these days.

What a cold, dark, and damp month this has been!
I know there are bright crocuses and leafing trees somewhere, but winter has yet to release its grasp on our Vermont hill.

Gratefully, art supplies bring a touch of the sorely missed brightness within reach.

I am back to exploring the patterns and distortions that appear when looking through a glass of water. These sketches are my pretend garden of shape and color, a stand-in to tend while waiting for the real thing.

A lot of New England artists seem to be turning up the color while waiting for spring to arrive.
Help yourself to a dose of their medicine.

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It was such a pleasure to spend a couple of hours in the company of bright young artists this past week during our stitching workshop. They were an eager and happy group, diving in with needles in hand, cheerily socializing while they worked. I was impressed that the majority had previous sewing experience, and so pleased that gender wasn’t a factor.

Cyclops

Rose

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What made me happiest was that several commented on how relaxing they found the work, and that they were definitely planning to keep on stitching!

Arriving At Complexity Via Simplicity

What is it about pattern that is so seductive? Perhaps it’s that its regular rhythms lure us into a sense of comfort through the predictability of repetition. Or could it be the visual jolt that keeps us on our toes as we bump into the places where those rhythms break with a change of direction, color, or image?

Sample 1

This week I have been working up a sample piece for a workshop I will soon be presenting for a group of high school art students. Without being sure what their previous stitching experience (or even exposure) has been, I am planning to concentrate on the deceptively simple running stitch.

Sample 2

Like following the dashes of the broken white line down the middle of the road to destinations unknown, I hope they will become excited by the wide scope of pattern-making possibilities to be found by simply drawing a thread up and down along a line.

Sample 3

The running stitch has a rich history around the world, represented in part by Kantha embroidery of eastern South Asia, Japanese Sashiko, and traditional American hand-quilting. Numerous contemporary artists, such as Christine Mauersberger, Sue Stone, and Mary Ruth Smith , (and even yours truly) continue to mine its possibilities in their work, offering plenty of inspiration to set any budding stitch artist on her way.

Sample 4

Beyond that, by having them concentrate on the most basic of stitches, my main goal is that the students will come away with a better understanding of the truism that I depend upon so heavily in my own practice: Limitations, self-imposed or otherwise, often provide our greatest opportunities for growth and creativity.

Several artists I admire who use pattern to great advantage are Jane Newland, Eleanor Annand, Emily Barletta, and Arounna of Bookhou. Who would you recommend?

On a Different Note______________________________________________________________________________

Looking for a great non-fiction read that has nothing to do with art? Try Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, a funny, poignant memoir of a scientist who just happens to write beautifully. It’s my latest favorite.

Slow and Steady

This week has been full of experimentation, building on what I’ve learned so far. The process is similar to the progressive states of print-making, with each step producing unexpected discoveries that bring me a little bit closer to where I’m hoping to go.

Following last week’s layered drawings, I began by painting both a positive and a negative image on a piece of raw silk.

Using watercolor pencils and silk organza, a second layer creates the “X”. The idea to use complementary colors wasn’t so successful.

Staying within an analogous color zone was a smarter move.

I’ve had stitching much on my mind, trying to figure out how to integrate it so as to enhance the idea of a positive/negative dichotomy without overwhelming the under-layers and the piece as a whole.

I have been envisioning a much more intensive layering of stitching rather than these simple lines of running stitches. But for this particular rendition/sketch, the simpler lines seemed right. Although hard to see in this photo, a subtle variation of thread color leads the eye in and out of the shapes of both the plants and the “X”, beginning to touch on my goal of an uneasy sense of fluidity between fore- and backgrounds.

It’s time to sit with this for a while so I can figure out how to give stitch a more assertive voice. This example is only about 6″ square. I think working larger will help me figure it out.

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Speaking of “X’s”: before I let you go I want to share this TED Talk by Jamie ‘Mr. X Stitch’ Chalmers with you. I’m sure that those of you who also work with needle and thread will nod your head, appreciating his good humored articulation of truths we all understand so well. And for those of you who may not quite get the attraction to working in this medium, this short talk may make a believer of you. If you’re interested in learning more, here’s his website.

Lost in the Stitch

Why do we choose to work with specific media?

It’s a question that often crosses my mind when I think longingly of how much more quickly my work would go with the swoop of a brush.
But once I get the needle and thread in hand, I keep coming back to how much I enjoy the process, and the fact that there is something in the finished visual and textural effects of hand-stitching that grabs hold of my imagination and won’t let go.

With a collection of thread that is vast and varied*, it is a joy to be immersed in so much color. As I work, I feel like I am virtually floating through the dyed/painted silk ground, each stitch punctuated by the comfortable rhythm of “needle-up, needle-down”. I can become engrossed in the process for hours.

In addition, I have always been most attracted to art where the artist has, in a sense, left a trail. I love what might be considered visual footprints — splashes of paint or the hide and seek of a drawn line as it traces and smudges in and out of the contours of a figure. These unpolished marks give me a chance to follow along with the artist and vicariously share in the process.

So as I finish a day’s work and look back over the fields of texture and color created by innumerable hand-stitches, I feel like the journey of the piece as it is coming into being, is laid out as clearly as a map.

In essence, process and result are the driving forces behind why I work with needle and thread. And in that light, I hope the thousands of stitches that capture me as I work, will also pull viewers into my finished pieces, not just through the image alone, but by incurring a feeling of connection with the making of it.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays…

*If you live near Stowe, VT be sure to check out The Wooden Needle for its beautiful and wide selection of silk, wool and cotton thread.