AUGUST completed

This has been a very short abridged challenge this month (August that is).  I opted for the boat and to use the TAP (Transfer Artists Paper) method as I had just acquired some.  Forgot I needed to mirror it for the process so you will see that the boat has beached the other was around.

I have only stitched the boat and am quite happy with the result. It is unmounted as yet as TAP size is American and I need to fiddle with the bought frame.

August choices

While I am on a roll here are August possibilities.

Love the simplicity of the pic but again I am drawn to flora!

Although I love the pic ....not sure whether it will work!

This could work!

This one talks to me. Different content and an A4 on its side.  Possible.

I am actually spoilt for choice  this month. There were quite a few more possibilities but I had to narrow it down to these four.  Now .......................

JULY COMPLETED

My life is too complicated at the moment and too many things (lots of good things!) are getting in the way and ambushing my deadlines. but ..................

July is finished but not completed. i.e. still needs to be mounted but it will not alter what you see here.

I am very happy with the result and cannot believe how easily it worked out. 

I printed my cropped picture onto a silk backing and then literally stitched into it .... a bit like paint by numbers, fantastic! 

My problem is the mounting. Although I am using a small 8 x 8inch artists canvas the silk backing sheet is fractionally smaller.  I might cut out the machine embroidery and mount onto another piece of fabric.  Need to think about this one.

JULY'S CHOICE

I have chosen the baby monkey even though previously I have avoided it as I was not sure I wanted a monkey looking at me off the wall.... but..... the challenge of thread painting has got to me and he is rather cute.

I have cropped the pic to what I think is a nice composition and will again do a small canvas - 8 inch square.  

JULY POSSIBILITIES

Very tempted to do this one. Met up with a local artist who does the most amazing machine embroidery - Kathryn Harmer-Fox. 

Looking at July's pics I seemed to be drawn to a second black and white?

Again, maybe a bit of machine embroidery for the moth/butterfly ...cannot remember which lands with wings open etc. although it did appear to be making the most of the sun at the time so who knows.

Getting there - June!

Mulled over the piece sitting on the ledge at lunch and I think I am now getting there.

Apologies, this pic taken outside and it has changed the background colours completely. Definitely berry heavy before and unbalanced.  Unfortunately I have it mounted already so to change the background lines I think the next step is to come in with some hand stitching, possibly some seeding.  It certainly has been a challenge getting this right and I think it is because of the smallness of it - been interesting.

JUNE COMPLETED !!!

Finally finished or is it.?  Photographed it looks a little iffy but I need to give it a rest and then go back to it.

I have changed the ratio of berries to foliage as per the picture.  This is a little canvas (8inch square) and although made out of air dried modelling clay, painted and varnished, the berries would have been too clumsy.  The same problem I had with the dew drops on an earlier piece.  The foliage behind is too predictable and this is where I need to fiddle plus I have just realized the seed pods have no stems !