Jack Pine Continued.....

Back to the Jack Pine project! I shaped the 'leaves' with my fingers to resemble flat discs with a pointed end. I needle felted it on to the branches pointy end in and then needle felted the upper side to the craft felt, leaving the rest of the leaf sticking out.
I positioned the leaves up and down the branches to create the illusion of limbs of the tree.I then added reflections in the water and needle felted black fibre around almost everything...I really like to outline my works..black makes everything else really stand out. I added some pale gray and white to create the 'sunny' side of the rocks and voila! It's done!

The Princess and the Frog

This trailer was just released this morning. This is the film I'm working on!

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/princessandthefrog/

Jack Pine Continued.....

Now that I have a drawing or pattern to go by, I can use it as a reference only or I can trace it on to the craft felt I'm using for the back ground.
I used a varigated corriedale pencil roving...ranging from shades of pale blue to navy to teal....needle felting it on to a white piece of craft felt. This piece is 5" by 7". I made sure some of the darker bits of fibre showed in the sky and some of the more turquoise is down below where the jack pine will be. I left the edges clear so that when I frame the piece I won't be losing any needle felted detail around the edges. I then created a horizon of small hills using a teal fibre made of 30%Mohair and 70% merino...(this is an excellent fibre for needle felting...it's very 'flubby' and chunky..not combed out as much as the corriedale I use). Never create the horizon line in the centre of the piece..locating it below centre creates more drama.

I anchored the hills by needle felting a bit of black where the hills meet the water. I added rocks...needle felting them on only around the edges so they remain 3 dimensional and 'rock like'! I've established that the 'sun' is coming from the left so I put darker grey and black on the right sides of the rocks to give them depth.

I placed the tree off centre to add interest to the piece.

More next time....

Jack Pine

I've been thinking about Algonquin Park lately...I'm heading up near there this weekend and SO looking forward to it!!http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/index.html
It's a huge wilderness area with canoeing and camping and abundant wildlife and TREES. I love trees. I have favourite trees all over the world. The tree that most evokes Ontario for me is the Jack Pine. Tom Thompson has explored Algonquin park and the Jack Pine with enormous success; creating priceless paintings as one of the Group of Seven.

http://www.crossstitchpatterngall.com/tom_thompson.htm

I would like to present my humble attempt at a Jack Pine in needle felting. I will take you step by step through my process from my first inkling of an idea to the finished product. Today I'm starting with the rough idea and sketch.

First I do a very rough drawing of what I would like to do.

Then I simplify, simplify simplify.

stay tuned.......

Kimono pattern

By the way, the kimono pattern we were using on our Loose threads work day was created by Lois Ericson and is the kimono encore #327. It's a lovely simple yet versatile pattern.

http://www.designandsew.com/patterns.html#blouse_etc

She has many patterns to choose from!

AND check out her fabric! She's closing out her batik butik end of the business and is selling the fabric at great prices. These are gorgeous fabrics!

http://www.designandsew.com/fabrics.html

There! I've made it easy for you!

kimonos in the works

Before I left for my new job in Toronto the 3 of us Loose Threads got together to create one of a kind kimonos. Cathy had the pattern and she kindly taught us...she's a great teacher and yes..she was a slave driver! :)

cuttin'

Pat sewin'

Cathy sergin'

Ta Da!

Now I want to embellish the heck out of it. I think I'll do an embroidery running stitch down the lapels and maybe a bit on the sleeves.

Thanks Cathy and Pat for a great day! Go to Pat's blog for more pix.

http://threadsinpurple.blogspot.com/

moving

Wow..the last couple weeks have just flown by...with narry a word from me! I've been busy as all get out finishing things off and clearing things out. I'm at last about to embark on my next adventure...moving to Toronto to work on a Disney animated feature. It's been a long time in the works with lots of to-ing and fro-ing between studios and we're finally able to start work on it.
BUT..before that happens, for me at least, there's just ONE more craft show I'm committed to doing. It's the Muskoka Arts and Crafts Show and Sale that is held every year in the lovely town of Bracebridge Ontario. Weather is always hot and gorgeous (except for that massive storm that became a tornado further east last year..but that was the day BEFORE the show, so it hardly counted!)(I was fortunate that I had lugged my oh so heavy gridwall to the show...it kept my tent and me from blowing away)

http://www.muskokaartsandcrafts.com/Summer_Show/summer_show.htm

If you're in the neighbourhood, come see me in booth 13.

After this show I'll be busy setting up and getting back in to drawing all day for a living (I love it!) I have some very cool ideas for my fibroholism however...so stay tuned!

http://www.panoramio.com/places/

I was doing a bit of surfing on the net when I discovered this amazing website called Panoramio.
You see a google earth satellite image with photos superimposed on it that people have taken in that area. I found this site by chance while searching for an apartment in Toronto...when I wanted to see the location on a google map, these little photos sprang up too...showing me a picture of the street I was focused on! You click on the photo to enlarge it. You see who took the photo as well. I noticed it's been around for a couple of years with way more then a million photos that people have uploaded. I've now joined and can upload images I've taken around the world (like I need MORE fun yet distracting things to do!) The site will automatically place the photos where they are in the world. Pretty cool stuff!
I've gone one step further and added a "Photo Finder Widget" to this blog...a smaller version of panoramio...try it out!

Canada Day

Traditionally I spend Canada Day in the Ottawa area. We drive off to some beautiful spot and then head back in to town for a BBQ and walk downtown to watch the spectacular fireworks. We always stand near the National Gallery of Canada. This year was no different except that the weather was GORGEOUS!!! We've had a rainy Canada Day for the last few years and it was a very pleasant surprise to see that THAT traditional was not going to mar our day. This year we went to Pink lake in the Gatineau Hills. We used to be able to swim there but it's been turned in to a protected place. It's wonderful to see the huge variations in plant life..and animal life. This birch tree below appears to have a large muppet-like mouth and many sewn up scars a la Frankenstein!
We saw a ton of tadpoles..this one below has wee little legs already.
We headed east to a hillside above the quaint town of Wakefield Quebec. Here is where Canada's 14th Prime Minister is laid to rest. We found a woman who comes every year to place a Canadian Flag at his grave. Very appropriate as his five-year legacy is very impressive: a new flag, the Canada Pension Plan, universal medicare, a new immigration act, a fund for rural economic development, and the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism which led to the foundation of a bilingual civil service.

Happy Canada Day...and Happy 4th of July to those south of the border!

cheers,

Wendo