rooted in place, moving only with the wind
what would that be like I wonder, to be so fixed in one spot?
the trees of the yukon seem to be in perpetual motion whether from the wind or the either boggy or stony ground that affects root development, causing many of them to lean
the last time I was here I did some loose watercolour paintings with grey and gold - not looking for any particular outcome, just seeing how the paint might move on the paper depending on how I managed the water
one resembled a river bank and so I began to add trees
won't say it's finished
can't say it isn't
below, a loose abstract of hills and poplar trees in winter
then a stitched tree
interestingly, the back is closer to the tree I've been striving for
the short, choppy stitches are a truer likeness than the detailed, slightly curving stitches of the branches on the front
I'll work into it more, referencing the back to make the front
I've been drawing these kind of trees this week as well, and the short strokes are becoming second nature - hopefully that will translate into making stitch-marks as well
but then there's the matter of the lean...
it's always something
4 comments:
Trees can be sculpted by the wind for sure... Some around here seem to lean or grow more to one side where the wind whips up on exposed ground. I have noted the spindly nature of the trees around Yukon from photographs you have posted or sent me and they really do seem to have their own unique character which matches the starkness of the landscape. Trees stripped back to their bones... but so beautiful with their raw silhouettes. You have captured their forms and the patterns they make against the sky so perfectly.
Also love your new header... so very appropriate to the way you think and work... and very beautiful.
As you say, there is always something. Both the back and front trees seem good to me!
I would certainly say it's finished and frameable!!!
I am reminded of something a teacher told me once - she said to always 'put something' on the back of a piece so that people have something to discover when they turn it over because most people will. Sometimes the back IS more interesting than the front as you're proving with that tree.
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