more fiddleheads...and some flame azaleas

I began a new version of the fiddleheads yesterday, drawing from small gesture drawings based on earlier photos in the woods. I did the drawing quickly using large chalk and also gaphite stick on canvas I'd stenciled and stamped the day before with varying greens using fern fronds. I worked on it again today, still very loose and large marks and brush strokes. The dark red in the background was done for contrast at the last minute. The canvas was taken outside, photographed and then I manipulated the photo with Photoshop filters to this stage.

The flame azalea photo was taken at the creek property this morning...the colors of these plants in different places in the woods is just amazing...hue ranges from this very intense deep red-orange to light orange sherbet-like version in another place nearby.

more about the calendar/journal tapestry

The tapestry I'm working on daily (the Month of May tapestry) is being done by weaving about 1-1/2", then marking the end of the day with a dark marker has had the ninth day added. As I began this month-long-process I created rules to follow (of course, since I made the rules I can break them at will!). So, briefly, my rules for this game are:

1. use weft only from my many bags of left-overs from tapestries past,
2. respond to each day with the number of shapes as is the day (one shape for May 1, nine shapes today, May 9...)
3. end each day with two passes of dark weft to be ready for the next day's weaving--on the next day,
4. and have the background be mostly the same throughout each day's section while the shape colors may change.

Last week I was energized by the process, excited to see what would happen daily. I was also spending several hours every day in awe of the beautiful spring as it develops here in north Georgia. I found that the colors selected for each day were very influenced by those observations of and reflections on nature's renewal.

As I began the second week yesterday I felt all of out of sorts...nothing particularly jumped up and down in my sense brain and said, "Weave about me! Weave about me!" So when I glanced into the weft-box my eye spotted a large bundle of yellow...I thought, "Ok, so I'll weave a yellow ground and place eight shapes of different mostly intense colors on it." Well, that turned out to be less than the desired effect but I left it in place...since I guess that's pretty much another rule that I didn't mention before...try very, very, very hard not to be too judgmental and start ripping out!


So, today I was even more blah...so the 9th day has 9 shapes...all red on a light gray field...except one is more pink than red. And it is also smaller than the others. Seems it's an outsider...by choice? By exclusion? I've said this before...don't quite know where since I'm writing in about five different journals currently.

Anyway, it is what it is...now there's a famous and significant quote, huh?!

Oh yeah, I'm still working on the fiddlehead compositions...or rather, struggling with them.

And on my yesterday's trip to the woods found windflower and false solomon's seal, as well as wild ginger...plus a few more things not yet identified.

There was also a wonderfully clear raccoon print in the mud by the creek...got a great photo of that! Now I'm wondering about how to use it in tapestry.

identification of one of the "mystery plants!"

One of the plants I found on the property the other day turns out to be a rare mint! The Center for Plant Conservation website says it is Collinsonia verticillata--also know as early stoneroot, whorled horse-balm, whorled stoneroot. It is listed as Sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service "...due to its limited range in the Southern Appalachian Mountains...."

I took more photos of the plant today before I learned about what it was from a friend. And I noticed at least seven plants flowering, leaves for more.

I also saw devil's bit or fairy wand growing near the whorled horse-balm. What a wonderful spring we're having here!

more work on fiddleheads three...

After stenciling and printing with ferns one of the compositions yesterday, I photographed it today then manipulated with Photoshop.

This is close to finished, I think. A bit more work with Photoshop, maybe.