I haven’t had much time to work at this, but here is the progress so far. I am going to our rug hooking group today, so I hope you see a difference tomorrow. I’ll also explain what I am thinking about with the value changes. This is a working piece, a prototype, an experiment–and I am just seeing where it takes me.
I have made a small start on the background. It will be squares of neutral colours working outwards from light to dark. I gathered a pile of strips in the right values and started between the shoes. I hope the colours will create a subdued flickering behind the shoes, interesting but not intrusive. I have always thought that backgrounds, while by definition must of course take a ‘back seat’, should be as interesting as the main motif. Check back to see if my plan works! Also the toffee Delta should be done by the end of the week.
I am back. The last two days were spent driving north from the Carolinas, through the stunning multiplicity of spring’s early greens punctuated by numbing blocks of urban sameness. Twenty hours of sitting provides a lot of time for reflection.
Last night as I was trying to remember just where I store the tea (and we were only gone 10 days!) I was rereading Jonah Lehrer’s essay on why we travel. He cites various experiments which show that travel has a lasting impact, making us more creative because we’re less insular. We’re reminded of all that we don’t know, which is nearly everything; we’re surprised by the constant stream of surprises. Even in this globalised age, slouching toward similarity, we can still marvel at all the earthly things that weren’t included in the Lonely Planet guidebook and that certainly don’t exist back home.
We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything.
I walked along the expanse of beach early each morning and than again at night. This was my favourite part of the time away. I’ll share a few of the photos I took and then I am off to take advantage of the secret tonic of creativity. Maybe these glimpses of this wild beauty will inspire you too. I hope so.
Christine
I’ve been fooling around with my paints this morning. This was a challenge to paint and would be even more so to hook.
More adjustments are needed (the stitching on the right shoe seems a little bright for one thing)–but the shoes are essentially hooked. Next step, the background and border. I am thinking of doing smallish squares in a medium tone for the background, kind of like tiles, perhaps getting darker at the edges.
For those of you who have asked, the shoes are made by El Naturalista, a Spanish company. This pair is a few years old and I have certainly worn them in. I have a few pairs from this brand because the quality is tops and the comfort beyond compare. However, I did buy a pair of these yesterday! Now they would be a challenge to hook! (Apologies for the dip into shopping channel mode–shoes do that to me!!!)
I’ll be back with the background soon I hope.