How my mind works on a design, if you dare...

I've been asked many times how I design, what goes through my mind's eye, as I place a new design on canvas.  I always stop and try to recreate the moment, but then can't quite put my finger on it, so I answer something stupid like: "I don't know... " (which makes me feel like a big duhhhhh!).  

I've decided I want to think this process through, and I'm going to do it together with you!  How's that?  So come on in, if you dare...

"Hanging Gardens", the piece for my next Cyberworkshop, is one of my B-I-G pieces, (I usually do 2 of those a year).   When I set out to start the design, I know I want it to be one of my major pieces.  I know it's time for me to really explore in depth, spend a longer period of time with a design.  I also know what base material I want to work on.  I have been working on Congress Cloth quite a bit lately, this piece is no exception.  

I began with thoughts of giving this piece the feel of an old, established large garden.  I wanted it to be in part a manicured and ornate garden, such as those grand Italian Renaissance gardens.  I also knew that I didn't want it to be perfect, I wasn't that interested in a completely perfect piece, I wanted it to feel as if it had all the body of a grand, symmetrical garden, but let age and just a tad of neglect, have it's imprint on it.  

 

The gate.  This is where you enter the garden and this is where I began my design.  It has the feel of iron work in the center of a large massive garden gate.  It is very symmetrical,  over time that would not change.  First I drew the shape I wanted to have on the gate and then I interpreted it into stitches.  In the illustration I show how I broke the shape down into the shapes of the crescents that I would need. 1A is the first crescent needed to make the top curve.  1B is the reflection of the same crescent, and they both meet at the top.  The curve, the width, all of the measurements would need to be determined by the count of the canvas.  I begin stitching a crescent and at times stitch it again, until I have the shape I'm looking for.

Wow, I'm really getting into the details of this and it's nice to finally understand my  own process.  Should I continue?  Let me know if you're interested.

Until next time we meet ;)
Orna