And in Honor of Monty Python.....SHRRRRUBBRRY (Cat-tails)

I have loved that word ever since the Knight of Knee!

 

 

These "shrubbery" of undetermined specie are almost front and center. They add weight and balance.
Each was made hooped on netting with 4 thread colours and anchored with a fifth. No distortion!

 

I start working on an idea for the large cat-tails. I'm not 100% sure that I will use then. I thought I'd try making them very tactile assembling them from a needle felted material. In this case I started with silk cocoons I purchased last fall at the Woodstock Fleece Festival. They were Quite the right colour so when I finished I over dyed them in TEA. I need them to dry before I can proceed from here.

Fox -2 Filler/

This puzzled me for a bit, but I went with a tiny meander and subtly traced foliage in a green. I'll tart this up with paint.
What's he jumping at.......a suggestion of a mouse. I couldn't go really brutal here and make his prey tooo cute.
LOL

Swamp - midground

It wasn't necessary this time, to do the base of the cat-tail on netting. The space is larger and the stitch runs can be longer. The tendency for distortion is reduced. So I put three colours directly onto the canvas.

 

The positioning of the clumps of cat-tails is more noticeable now. I didn't want them in a straight row. Its easy to move them around, forward and backwards by putting in a few additional stitches.

I know what is going to be in the foreground, close ups of a few plants, but I'm also thinking I need to bring the purple of the Canadian milkweed forward as well. This is an opportunity to add lighter shades of purple and pink.
I'm also thinking I'm unhappy with the sky.
Hmmmmmmm. Tomorrow.

And Because I have a Monkey Mind - Fox 2

Threw this one together at 4:00 pm. Can't decide what he's looking at. Something yummy?

Now for the wine!

Mucking in the Swamp

It's time I got back to this piece. Have to stay home now and again.

So we're still working in the distance. As I've mentioned before it HAS to go in as you move forward as you can't put it in afterwards. It may seem like an inordinate amount of work as most of it gets covered but its what adds depth and detail.

I spent some time working up "shrubbery" on netting. I SO like this technique now as it reduces the bulk and virtually removes all chance of distortion.

 

The tiny pieces are actually three colours each. Using a complimentary colour in the bobbin adds even more interest.   Some foliage and the purple tinged Canadian milkweed.

 

 

The vertical stitching is basting. I used a puffy poly......because it's what I had, and its needs taming to make sure there is no bunching up. But as I'm working continuously from Top to Bottom, its really just getting it out of my way.

 

The "bits" are applied with again another colour so you get a rich blend with only one pass of the machine. The gold is intended to be the dead material at the base of the rushes and cat-tails.

 

And as I mentioned most of it gets covered over, but it adds so much texture.

 

So as I move forward the actual Plants become bigger and fewer. It's time to consider adding some raw applique as fill.