Sunday 29 August 2010

Fine Detail


Finally my bad back has allowed for a little stitching these past few days. I realize how invaluable my sketchbook work has been whilst I have been incapacitated.
I have been thinking about seed heads for a while and am working towards two exhibitions which have the theme "Memory". Remembrance Day and poppy heads here then worked using hand-dyed cotton, voile, machine and hand embroidery, oil paintstick and acrylic paint.
"In Flanders Fields"  11.5" x 8"



       In Flanders Fields

                      by John McCrae, May 1915
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
In fine detail this wing shimmered in the sun today between the showers. It belonged to the hugest dragonfly I have ever seen in my garden. He enjoyed warming himself before the onset of the chillier evenings







12 comments:

  1. Lovely stitching of the seedheads. I love poppies, as they made for a great design element. I love your dragonfly. Did you see the red one on my blog? I had never seen a red one before that. I felt so blessed. Hope you are feeling better.

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  2. I love your interpretation of the poem---it has been a favorite of mine for years.
    Poppy seedheads are such wonderful structural things, aren't they?
    Very, very nice.

    XXOO~~♥
    Anne

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  3. That little quilt is an absolute beauty! I think most people would have chosen to do the flower itself but I LOVE the look of these seed heads and the feelings they invoke...FABULOUS!!!

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  4. The seed heads tell more of a story...very well done!

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  5. Ohhh...so sorry your back has gone out. Do be better soon. Do great minds think alike or what? I also put up a picture of a dragon fly in my last post...ours were huge this year too, does it mean something? And lastly, if you can sit long enough...you might enjoy Sophie Munns "Homage to the Seed" Residency blog: sophiemunns2010.blogspot.com She, like you, is a seed artist.

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  6. Your embroidery is beautiful. It looks as though we're both working on the same theme at the moment.

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  7. Lovely little quilt and so unique! I enjoy looking at seedheads too.

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  8. That was the most beautiful post you've done, jusy lovely,xx

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  9. This looks very Japanese, especially the dramatic use of red.

    Glad to hear that your back is improving.

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  10. Oh, what wonderful photos you make, Clare! And your poppy heads are so beautiful, so graphic - I really adore them!
    I do hope your back get's better real soon.

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  11. Spectacular dragonfly/wing portraits! We do not have green ones like that here...similar, but bright blue.

    In regards to poppies, are you in need/want of any seed? I had a bloomiferous show of a 'Double Black' (actually very deep purple-marroon) and got tons of seed from it...I'll send you some if you like? Here's the link to what it looks like:
    http://www.anniesannuals.com/plt_lst/lists/search/lst.srch.asp?prodid=768&srch_term=papaver

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