Tag Archives: Stitched portraits

A Thick Slice of Cake

If you’ve subscribed to my periodic newsletters, then you will already know that my latest Full Bloom portrait is finished.

This one was a challenge for several reasons: the glasses, the full-face angle and the need to subdue any competition between the model’s subtle skin tones and silver-ish hair vs her colorful clothes. That said, I’m very happy with the results — especially the way the subject and the stitched background ended up working, both independently and together.

Measured Response in process

After roughly drafting in the head, I sat with it for several days. There was a quality about it that, although incomplete, seemed to have a lot to say in a ghostly, disembodied sort of way. This is a great example of a point in the process when ideas start to flow for possibilities in future work.

Measured Response Watercolor Embroidery Stitching

Measured Response, detail

What was it about this particular image that made me hesitate in moving forward? Was it the straight-on stare speaking volumes on its own? Or perhaps simply that I tend to be drawn to art where elements of the underpainting/drawing remain visible? I find a sense of poetry in work where the hand and thought processes of the artist are laid bare.

Plus, backgrounds are a bit of – I wouldn’t exactly say nemesis, but definitely a puzzle for me, requiring another level of consideration because of the stitching. I want to create more than a mere backdrop, yet avoid having the piece appear overworked.

Measured Response Angle Watercolor Embroidery

There’s nothing like an angle shot for bringing out the texture of the stitching

In the end, I placed her head firmly on her shoulders, integrating her within space – although admittedly somewhat nebulous space. By pushing the color and pattern of the stitching while keeping it relatively sparse, I was able to hold onto the qualities that had stopped me in the middle, yet reach a satisfactory and full resolution. And, trite though it is to say, ultimately finding a way to have my cake and eat it too.

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While some of you live where your gardens are already coming back to life, those of us in Northern New England have a while yet to wait. But we can dream and plan. Here are a couple of ideas if you too are ready to get back to your plot of earth, but it’s not quite ready for you.

First, a shout-out to my mother-in-law who recently recommended Monty Don’s 3 episode series Adriatic Gardens on Amazon Prime or Acorn TV…it’s wonderful, so check it out.

Alice Fox Wild Textiles Book

And secondly, during the Surface Design Association conference in late January, UK artist Alice Fox spoke inspiringly about her practice using natural processes with found, gathered and grown materials. She made me long to collect the spent daffodil, iris and garlic leaves from my own garden to start creating with them. Granted, it will be a while before that can happen, but in the meantime I purchased a copy of her book Wild Textiles to learn more and to start the creative juices flowing while there’s still snow on the ground.

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.

Step-By-Step

The snow is back!! — meaning both productive studio time and the bonus of excellent natural light.
As far as my latest post-Roe piece goes, all experiments have been set aside and I’m jumping in with both feet. Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process so far. There are still some ideas to pull together.

First, the figures and letters are laid out.

Next, a layer of masking fluid was added to protect some of the lettering from paint, while other letters are partially stitched.

Everyone is always curious about the back side. This shows areas that have been completed, along with pre-poked holes that are ready for stitches.

With the first layer of stitching complete, the individual portraits begin. The cotton thread that I’m using absorbs the paint but, as the brush flows over them, the raised stitches also tend to repel paint on the paper next to them. This adds an unexpected but welcome visual element to the textural effect.

With the 2nd portrait finished, things are beginning to materialize.

As I work on these I’ve begun to notice an interesting pattern. About halfway through each face, I reach a point where it seems as though the image is failing miserably. But I’m learning that it’s a lack of definition rather than a series of missteps. Not being shy about adding details and forceful darks gets things back on track.

I expect to finish the paintings in the next day or two, and then will tackle the 2nd layer of stitching. Stay tuned for my next post, or keep an eye on my Instagram account, to see how things pan out.

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It’s that time of year.
Studio Place Arts in Barre has just opened its holiday show “Celebrate!” (follow this link for a sneak peek) exhibiting the work of more than 70 member artists. I encourage you to come take a look and to get a leap on your artful holiday shopping. It’s a great way to support both local artists and a vibrant community art center.
I am exhibiting 3 wall pieces and 3 of my Sheltering-in-Place house sculptures.

Exhibit dates are November 9 – December 28, 2022
Maybe I’ll see you at the Art Social this weekend: Saturday, November 19 from 4:30 – 6pm! Many other artists will be there too, as well as a cello performance by Michael Close.
Masks are required.

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.

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.

Elizabeth Fram

Eye of the Needle