Oak tree embroideries.

I thought I would talk to you about my latest work. In the summer Radio 4 had readings from The Oak Papers by James Canton. I loved them and sent for the book which I adored. It is about the solace that being close to Nature- in this case an ancient oak tree - can bring to mind and body. I knew what he meant and understood it. It is also full of the facts, history and myths around the oak tree and how important it has been in this country.

I sought out a few of our local oaks and have been observing, drawing and spending time with them. One especially, an oak tree in -The Enormous Field - an earlier set of embroideries which you could find here following the labels at the bottom. So I have made a start on this new set of work about oak trees. I have been posting them on Instagram as I work them so you can watch them develop.

The idea is that they will be shown at Fresh Air Sculpture at Quennington, Near Cirencester next June when hopefully the pandemic will be behind us and life will have returned to a new normal. Meanwhile I just keep on stitching and that sustains me. Keep safe everyone and take the image of the acorn with you. As James Canton says it is a great symbol of Hope.
 

New work at The Glos Guild of Craftsmen.

These pieces are now at The Guild at 51 in Cheltenham. I am starting some new work tentatively, will see what happens!

All yellow

 If you remember my winter field book, I drew the oil seed rape in leaf (looking like cabbage.)

 Now it is in flower and the enormous field has turned bright yellow - a rather acid yellow actually and bad for hay fever sufferers. A long time ago my husband kept bees and the honey they made with this turned solid almost immediately so not wonderful but abundant. Last year this field was barley so this is part of the crop rotation.

 I have been playing with patchwork fields for cards for the exhibition.

Just painted the border for this piece that I stitched last year but never finished. The sunlight on the loops cast wonderful shadows.
Happy Easter to one and all! I shall be away from her for a bit over the holidays. Thanks as always for reading my blog and leaving your comments.

winter field book finished and a new piece begun.

 The winter field book is finished ( I think.)

 As it is long these two photos show the front pages

 and the back pages.

 This is the beginning of a new slow stitch piece with threads. It is a map of the enormous field from above with a further field behind. The red stitching shows the original pack horse path, still a bridleway and official footpath. There is going to be lots of stitching on this for crop lines, unofficial paths and hedges. It is 3 layers of soft fabric - grey linen and tablecloth underneath all secondhand and well washed so delicious to stitch in its softness.

Autumnal walk in the Enormous field - in progress.

 So back to this piece that I began in September before my holiday. I drew in some brambles to create a foreground.

 I really was going to keep the colours very muted, black white and brown, but it seemed very dull.

 So colour crept in! It is a mixture of hand and machine embroidery. Lots more to stitch.

Detail of blackberries now very much over but this remember this was started in September, leaves turning, misty mornings and fruitfulness.

Playing with paint and monoprints.

 A wet Sunday afternoon so I got out my acrylic paints, rollers and geli plate.

 Just playing around with ideas of the enormous field with crops at different times of the year.

 These are on paper,

 then on fabric.

 One to stitch into. A pick up and put down piece for slow stitching.

Also working on a Rose Bay willow herb in stitch. Another diary story, third in the series.

Winter in the Enormous Field.

 This may be familiar if you are a regular visitor here ( thank you as always!) I started it earlier this year but now it is finished and in the right season and weather. This is the field beyond our garden that anyone can walk around and has so many changing faces. Bleak this time of year but usually interesting flock of birds around- redwings and field fares or sparrows or yellowhammers.

 I have used my own invented loop stitch. So, recently taking it out again after a long rest I backed it, added more running stitch footmarks around the edge - because it is very popular now with dog walkers- and stitched a little bright yellow green to lift the colour and refer to the peculiar colour that sometimes happens when the farmer sprays around the edges. ( yes I have put it in the furrows - poetic licence!)

I rather like the close up of the loops. It gives the 3d effect that photos tend to flatten.
P.S. snow here now turning to slush.