well, *that* bored me to tears

Couldn’t cut, couldn’t pick up a needle. Crap. I was forcing myself to do something that isn’t me anymore.

But i’m looking at this again:

THIS is where i need to start.

So i did this from the photo of the Leighton Fabric:

I’m also thinking now, that while i will not (would NEVER) “copy” Barbara Leighton’s work, there is a way to jam off the shapes. I could change the orientation, the scale, the colours, and certainly the medium treatment, as i am not replicating a batik process. Even this sketch from the main shapes is subject to interpretation, morphing and distortion. I could cut it up, duplicate areas, cut out sections, move them around, ignore some pieces, soften lines even more. (Thanks Karin, for all your “L frame” tips over the years that apparently sank in after all 😉 I miss our coffee times, Scamp!!!!!!!!! )

After all, what is it that draws me in the original piece? The shapes are organic, the colours are softer, more muted as natural dyes would be. (The original is Procion.) I don’t necessarily mean to use all natural dyes either–which means searching the current fabric stash is rather frustrating, as i am finally at the end evidently of all the pieces created in residency, neither do i have many solid colour fabrics. I’m eyeballing that black Pima (previous post) for some more discharge and overdye tests.

Because this is what i really want to do:

I miss my Frankenstitch. I’ve done bits of it over the last year or so, but it kind of went by the wayside as i started adding dimension by using separate pieces. Time to add it back, and to that love of dimension.

So, it’s time to pull out the black pens, graphite pencils, crayons and paint —- and start colouring.