Friday, August 10, 2012

My Tiny Great Curve

I finished my Tiny Great Curve self-portrait today. Ah....

Tiny Great Curve, 2012.

Been working on this piece for a long time, in fits and starts. It's based on a photo that my I designed and my friend Alex shot of my last year.

Detail of layered feather stitch for my hair.


I made it just for me. And I realized that I've been making things mostly for other people, which I love to do more than anything, but it is nice to have something I can keep for myself.

Stitching various edits of the fantasy jungle.

When I first started the piece I hadn't expected it to feature the dream-jungle background. In the last few months I've been sketching for the piece quite a lot -- the wild riot of fantasy plants and vines just felt right. I think it's my dream of living in a wild, natural place, which has certainly been my life in the last year.

Detail of leaves and blanket on my hip.

I really pushed myself to use stitches that I haven't in a while... or ever. The piece includes stem, fishbone, feather, french knots, chain, Pekinese, back, blanket, button hole and closed fly stitch. The ground fabric is Kona cotton and the thread is a limited palette of Valdani perle cotton in size 12. 

I feel like I know my own hips better after stitching them for so long!

My dream framed.

And here is a song for you, my friends. Sometimes, the world moves on a woman's hips.

8 comments:

  1. Gorgeous, Olisa! Just gorgeous! Job well done!

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  2. It's so beautiful, O! I love the colors and textures and combination of stitches, it's a knock-out! Well done!

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  3. It is, like you, beautiful! What a talent you are.

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  4. Wow, what a wonderful piece! Especially love the jungle-y plants. :)

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  5. This is so beautiful, and oddly moving, I guess because it's so personal. I live the idea of making something so beautiful just for yourself. And the fact it's your creativity celebrating your body, creativity and imagination - its just magical.

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  6. Thank you so very much everyone for the incredibly kind comments! It means more than you can know. This work came along with me during some really dark, personal times and during times when things were good. Life continues to be confusing, but you keep trying.

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