Autumn leaves

It's not that I want to rush through Spring and then Summer, but I have just mounted this small piece on acrylique ready for a frame. I had hesitated in doing anything with this embroidery because the red dyes ran slightly during the cleaning process and I felt it was not worthy of any further investment of time and money. But as is often the case, when I leave a piece on my work table, it takes on another significance. I see it more objectively.

I remember when I finished it, a client had just arrived in the studio. She reacted spontaneously to the piece. When I pointed out the bleeding, she was adamant that if at any time I decided to not do anything with the work, she would like it. She is the daughter of a renowned Quebec artist and I trust her eye.

Maybe my objectivity and resulting pleasure today in looking at this piece is similar to that which C. exhibited that day so long ago. Somehow the very slight mark of bleeding around one or two of the leaves seemed less important. Time has worked its magic if only in my head.

Silk leaves

I put this design on the fabric more than a year ago and began working immediately. It is very detailed, complex and challenging. It was a design that I adapted from yet another swatch of fabric I had in my collection of prints. I worked several weeks on it and then became bogged down with the small blue and white flowers. I didn't like the way these harebells were sitting on the fabric but I didn't see an easy answer short of taking them out and starting again.

I gave the project a rest and moved on to something else, in fact, many something elses and now here I am a year later. Coming back to it with fresh eyes made me realize that it had some merit so I put it back in the frame and set it up on my work table. I have found renewed motivation and will start again with eager fingers tomorrow.

Evening light on the Lake

The light on the lake again last night was a purple glow. A simply breathtaking view from my studio window.

The Pimpernel Cushion -almost finished

Almost finished this Beth Russell adaptation of the 'Pimpernel Footstool'. Just a few more details to add, half a blue flower and a few stems which I only realized were not included when I studied pattern in relation to the washed and ironed piece and saw the omissions. I'll finish completely tonight and then work out how I will mount it.. a cushion, framed, or put together with another embroidery adapted from a Morris design, 'Orange Frieze'.

I am reminded of the well known quote of William Morris:


'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful' William Morris 1880

Asian flower place setting

The gift for my friend is complete - I have already spoken about the idea that I had. Here is the concept set up on our dining table which is not as wide as the table to which the linens are destined. I am happy with the result but anxious to see how it works in the setting of my friend's new home, which is very contemporary and recently has been decorated with some African art. This recent addition of masks and life size human sculptures seem contradictory to the other art that is on the walls. I had chosen my work considering a beautiful painted piece by a Quebec artist which evokes feminity, softness, poetry and generosity. This large painting entitled 'Flore' covers the only large free wall space close to the dining area. This is the reason why I chose the pinks and whites in my embroidery design.

Which then opens up the discussion of what criteria one uses for choosing and, in this instance, designing a gift for a friend. I applied my own aesthetic criteria of what I consider would work well in her current décor and the pleasure I would have in making such a gift. I probably will never truly know how much it was appreciated and I hope for the best. The most important element is that I made these table linens with much affection for a person who is immensely interesting, who listens well, who is generous of heart and who I think will receive the gift with sensitivity and understand the thoughtfulness with which it was created and given. It is of no importance if they never see the light of day. The key moment is when I give the gift and the sensation I derive from seeing and feeling what I anticipate will be her surprise and pleasure and understanding that this gift encompasses more than just a physical thing.

Wild flowers

I need to research what flower this is. I haven't been able to find it in my Field Guide. Walking this morning in a wet part of the garden, it seems that this bunch had just planted itself that morning. There are a few stray blooms throughout but this lovely collection took me by surprise.

If anyone knows the name, help me out, please.

Giant woodpecker

It's not the best of photos, but double clicking on it will give more details. I had suspected that we had a large woodpecker in the forest around the house. I could hear an amazingly loud tapping on the trees but we attributed the noise to the hollowness of the trunk rather than the size of the bird. The regular woodpeckers come to the feeders frequently and hang in their ungainly fashion using their tail for support under the feeder just to take advantage of the morning offerings. And then this morning as I am writing I see a flash of red across the shores of the lake close to the house. The red was so bright, I caught it from the corner of my eye. I looked out through the window and could see this form pecking at the tree. My camera was close at hand and not wanting to scare the bird away, I snapped the photo with the zoom lens through the window. This explains the fuzziness of the picture.

A giant woodpecker, rarely seen in our parts, was feeding on a spruce tree. It measures up to 2 feet long and when in flight, which I was about to see subsequently, the wingspan is impressive. The red head was fiery in colour. Madame was not far. It is mating season. I crept out of the double doors in the studio in the hopes of catching a better look and maybe a clearer photo, but my presence disturbed them and both male and female flew away in a flurry of feather and wing. A beautiful moment and a reminder of the privilege of living in such natural surroundings.

Magic on the lake

The light sometimes takes your breath away and the evening of Saturday to Sunday, around 9 p.m. was one such moment where the lake was cooler than the atmosphere and the mist that rose from the water left a veil of grey mist through which the new moon shone. It was at one time eery and magical. Such is the force of nature sometimes.

The art of Zeke and Michelangelo

This morning I read an extract from a text by Alain, (French philosopher, 1868-1951) where he said that often it is during the execution of a project that the artist makes discoveries which serve her vision. The artist becomes a spectator to her own work in progress. She recognizes the challenges her vision presents and she adjusts accordingly. It is at this point the work takes on its originality and distinctive quality.

My eyes wandered over to a drawing by Zeke, my husband's grandson, which was pinned to my billboard. He was four at the time and was experimenting with the colours of a new box of crayons. Quite spontaneously he drew the shape of an ungainly, uncrested bird, stood back from it momentarily, and then added vertical lines to the body and filled in each band with a different colour. Look Kathy, he said, it's a rainbow. He signed his name to the drawing. We called it Zeke's Rainbow Bird.

A couple of weeks ago, Zeke and his family came on vacation with us. Each morning, I would embroider in the garden as the children played. Invariably Zeke would come and watch me work. I reminded him of his Rainbow Bird and told him that when he visited in May I could prepare a canvas for him so he could transcribe the drawing in thread. He was excited by the idea and as he ran off back to his toys, he shouted back at me that he would like me to add a crest.

So this week, I set about designing something for 6 year-old fingers; large holes, thick thread, bright colours, simple technique. As I worked the test piece, on a smaller canvas, I wanted to create the effect of feathers in the tail. My first idea was to make a chequerboard with two colours. I had finished the lighter colour and set the project aside with the idea that the next day I would fill in the spaces with a darker colour. But when I viewed the project with fresh eyes the following morning, I realized that the tail in its unfinished state had already the feathery effect that I was looking for.

I had an immediate albeit very elemental example of Alain's idea of discovery while working. I chuckled at the thought that even at this childlike level, some basic ideas are common to all creative works. In this small way, Zeke's drawing echoed the work of Michelangelo...