Anenome Hupehensis - transformation to silk - progress (1)

 We are leaving again for a  two week holiday so the last weeks have been devoted to tidying up the garden, cutting back the remaining flowers and shrubs, transplanting hostas and astilbes into the new garden.


The anenome is still in flower, wafting in the wind each day.  It is dying back too, but I managed to capture one of the last fresh flowers of the bunch, a perky little thing growing very close to the ground.  I had people in for dinner on Sunday evening, and plucked it for my centre piece.  It seemed a little heartless to take it from its earthy base, but it added a little asiatic touch to the table, (we were serving a Thai curry as the main course, so it seemed appropriate) and was even the subject of conversation for a while.


 But on the quiet evenings, as the sun goes down and I sit quietly, I have been able to continue the silk work.  The first full flower has come out nicely.  Adding the touch of spring green brought an interesting contrast to the piece and all in all I am happy with the results


And then yesterday evening, I began putting in the myriad French knots of yellow to represent the stamens.  I have been working with a combination of the Pearsall's and Piper's silks for the petals, starting with the thicker thread and finishing the contours of each petal with the two ply Piper's.   There is a perfect marriage of colours with the two types of silk.  The French knots are done with the 3 shades of Piper's.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to take this project with me to Europe.  It's just too detailed to work away from the studio.  So my good ol' friend, William Morris, and another bird pillow design will accompany me.    

Anenome Hupehensis - transformation to silk

Anenome Hupehensis - transformation to paper

Today, I did my colour study of the anenomes I found in the garden this week (see Sept 12 blog).  There is a certain freedom exhibited by these simple blooms and in my watercolour study, I tried to keep the unstructured nature of these sweet flowers.


Tonight, I will choose the silks and ground linen and try to protect the cleanliness of the subject.


I already anticipate some technical difficulties.  The smaller the form the more difficult to translate the essential detail in those buds.


I've been in a lull creatively. Hopefully this project will draw me out.

Cape Cod, Marcel Duchamp quote, art, and a change of pace.

I should have posted this before my last post since I wrote it before leaving our sweet little rental on the Cape.  Here it is:

"Cape cod, U.S.Open, endless walks on the recently-abandoned-by-holiday-makers National Seashore, where the only social contact is with the curious seals.  Add to that fresh lobster tails,  and some great Zinfandels.... this has been our tried and true formula for the last four years, the week after Labour Day.

These lazy days, out of our usual context of forest, garden and family visits, are a total change of pace and place, in other words, a holiday.  It seemed this year, that I needed this week more than other years, and it is only on this 6th day of our week away that I have finally found calm and peace. 

The rains of the early part of the week crimped our beach activities substantially but not completely.  The walks were shorter but no less enjoyable animated by our daughter who was happy to escape the constant sunshine of her Californian home and revel in the coolness of the effects of hurricane Katia on the American east coast.

I have done very little embroidery.  I brought the usual traveling project, another cross-stitch, William Morris bird adaptation.  It's hard to do any other kind of project away from the studio, I need too many things around me to accomplish something less mechanical.  And conversation is always so absorbing when Kathryn is present, I don't have the same incentive to focus inwards.  But there is an opportunity to read in the mornings after breakfast while everyone is adjusting to the day, and I continue reading Lewis Hyde's 'Trickster makes this World' which is an immensely stimulating book and has given much grist for our talking mill.  

I liked particularly the quote by Marcel Duchamp: 

                                                                 "'The word 'art' interests me very much.  If it comes from Sanskrit, as I've heard,

                                                                    it signifies 'making'....Everyone makes something."

flower children at play

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 It's been a while since I have written... lots of visits, family and friends, through the month of August have taken me away from writing, embroidering and gardening.  And then, we went on our annual trip to the seashore, to Wellfleet, in Cape Cod, to stay at this exquisite little 'Laura Ashley' cottage, with a breathtaking view from the terrace on to  the bay.


We have been going to this part of the Cape for 4 years now mainly because the house we discovered resembled so much the house we live in.  We are drawn equally by the wonderful coastline as well as the warmth that this house evokes.  It is one of life's surprises that through the internet, you can fall on a treasure that really feeds you.

The additional discovery in that first year was the magnificent National Seashore that stretches for over 40 kilometres up and down the Cape.  We arrive one day after the Labour Day weekend and everyone, as in every single human person, has left the beach and our only company are the seals that poke their dog-like faces out of the water with an air of such sociability, without exception I am tempted to wave at them and expect them to wave back.  They don't, of course.

And then we returned last night late, leaving the warm sun of Cape Cod to return to our northern forest.

In our absence, it had rained and the garden is water logged, but there was a surprise.  This lovely anenome hupehensis, a gift from a neighbour that had never flowered in previous years, had popped up in the mess of my large central overgrown bed of shrubs, hostas and other vegetation.. it was a sight for sore eyes, like happy children playing in an abandoned park.

As I was standing in the muddy earth, surrounded by the yellowing plants and endeavouring to capture the pristine beauty of these flowers swinging in the light breeze, a bee came and picked out as much of the pollen that was useful.

I was reminded how much these flowers and shrubs feed me, and how much they give me inspiration to return to my silks and try to capture them on the canvas.

Tomorrow will surely be a day of seeking out just the right hue of pink silk to capture the delicacy of this delightfully playful and joyful autumnal flower.

To be continued......