Friday, March 4, 2011

Intertidal Embroidery Project - WIP

I have been working for a while now on an embroidery piece inspired by the tidepools surrounding the rocky beaches of Southern Vancouver Island. It isn't really a finished work, I feel like it is more of an embroidered sketchbook for a future project. I am using cotton embroidery thread on white linen, with a little silk applique. Above is a Purple Ochre Star, which is the most common starfish where I live. Depending on what part of the coast you live on, Ochre Stars will vary in colour from the deepest purple, to bright pink and orange. The purple variety is the most common here, but in every large pool there are a few salmon pink sea stars too.

One of my favourite things are the sea anemonies. Even though my first instinct is to make things really challenging and complicated, I am always most impressed with artists that are able to use very simple shapes and effortless looking styles to say more. I wanted to show the way the anemonies aggregate and squish together without being too fussy. I really am in love with their irregular oval shapes, made with just radiating straight stitches.
I added some bright green silk applique and heavy satin stitching to make green algae. I also really like the feathery red algae, and it is very easy to get carried away sewing the branching fronds with finer and finer thread.

I am still trying to figure out the best way to make embroidered barnacles. I think that they would look best done in white or light grey on a darker background like navy blue. I would love to see all their angular shapes, like living prisms, feeding with their feathery appendages.

The part of this project that has me stuck is how to execute the embroidery composition so that it looks modern, unfussy and striking. What I have right now is a jumble of things tangled together, which is how they live in real tidepools, but in my opinion is not the most effective presentation. I think that embroidery can be a very modern feeling medium, but you have to be careful with its treatment to do so. I really want to be sure that this project doesn't tread into stuffy "embroidery sampler" territory.
I am thinking about making 3 or 4 small pieces, each with only one or maybe two different species, but linked by style or by how they are framed. I think it might be make them feel more modern to frame them simply in their hoops. What do you think?

13 comments:

  1. What a STUNNING piece of embroidery. I love how you stitched all of the different elements, but especially the anemone. I think framing in the hoop is a wonderful idea, simple framing really keeps me focused on the beautiful detail and colour in your stitching.

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  2. This is beyond stunning! I mean it is just absolutely beautiful! You did an amazing job. I cannot wait to see the others you make!

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  3. This is so beautiful, I love it! The design, execution and subject all create an amazing piece of work. I have a tropical fish tank with some gorgeous fish and plants, I would love to add coral, anemones and starfish, but am not ready for a salt water tank. This is really inspiring, especially as obviously your rockpools are very different from Sydney ones.

    I think the hoops are an effective and modern way of displaying them. I think it is perfect the way it is, but maybe you could try embroidering on blue/grey/green linen, or dye your own to create a "sea", or would this make it too scientific/realistic looking?

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  4. Beautiful embroidery. I think they would look wonderful displayed in the hoops.

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  5. I am so impressed by the color and composition. WIth just simple stitches you have created shading and yummy, delightful, eye-restful variation. And the colors are great.

    I am making an album of Amazing Examples and you are right there.

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  6. Thanks guys! I love your ideas Genki, I don't think things can ever look too scientific :) I wish I could see what the intertidal zone in Sydney looks like one day...

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  7. it's amazing work, so beautiful! one thing that could be fun would be to paint the hoops? bright, modern colors might work? or be too kitchsy - your call. but the embroidery is awesome. i think when something is extremely well done it transcends from granny to grand!!

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  8. What absolutely beautiful work!

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  9. wow- That is gorgeous! I love the embroidery over fabric idea too.

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  10. I absolutely love your embroidery! I'm a bit of an ocean~y, beach~y gal, and anything with sea related items will make me look!You do beautiful work!

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  11. This is beautiful!
    And I love the idea of framing them in the embroidery hoops!

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