Laptop and Tea

  Adding detail to your world. Over the last three weeks, we have been discussing color and technique in hand embroidery and it’s time for it all to come together. Very few teachers talk about attention to detail in hand embroidery I have yet to find any tutorial, video,  or blog post discussing this subject. So, here we go... In today’s article,  we will discuss why attention to detail is important in any artist's work; across the board from painting on canvas to hand embroidery and we will discuss some ways to accomplish detail in hand embroidery . W hat is Detail, within a work of art? Here’s a word… Composition. As in the artists’ world, to embroiders this word means making the important parts of a work stand out. Detail is the isolated element s within a work of art; be it an oil painting or a piece of hand-embroidered wall art. To be absolutely honest, composition and the time it takes to achieve it can be a never-ending chore when finishing a

  Ribbon Embroidered Tapestry Imagine a piece of beautifully embroidered wall art. Maybe it is a mountain scene embroidered in cross stitches or a vase of colorful flowers embroidered with a mix of ribbons, beads, and thread. Or maybe it’s a piece of colorful abstract art that’s more your style. Why did it catch your eye when you first saw it? Why do you like it even now? if you say "it's the way it all comes together", you are right. what you described is a little thing called texture . What is Texture? The texture of a surface is how something feels, visually, and the actual feel of it. T o artists,  creat ing  texture in their work show s their personal skill, and  technique and express es the emotion of the ir piece s . it’s a way for them to express who they are in their work. T here are two types of texture... Actual and visual. Actual Texture is physical; the actual surface of a piece… is it rough or smooth; bumpy or flat? It is the result of t

  Understanding Color and the Color Wheel Understanding color is very important in the embroidery world. The beauty in the pieces you create depends on what each eye can see and what the eye sees is always better in color.      “In design school, the color wheel   drove me crazy.  Understanding which color model to use left me completely muddled, and choosing colors using it seemed like too much work. S o, I pushed it to the back of my mind and left it there... Not a good idea for a designer. However, while we can leave it alone for while and rely on our own sense of color; we are limited without it; and so, use it we must.  ”  Deonne D. Let’s face it; not all of us are brilliant at unraveling things the first time around. Some of us need to zip around a few times before discernment dawns; which, in this case, is no surprise when you consider who invented the color wheel. In my article, I will attempt to make the complexity of color and the color wheel as easy to understand as possi

The Holistic Experience of Music.  Music is believed to be holistic; involving and supporting not just the physical person, but the emotional, spiritual, and social person. Is this really true? Is it believable? In an earlier article, I shared a powerful story of the healing power of music. I have had several comments about that touching story with many re-sharing it because it inspires. However, it is more than just a very good story; it has a true basis for it. Now, it’s time to get down to the facts behind the story… the how's and why’s. listening to music can be enjoyable and if you play a musical instrument like I do, then being part of the music and enveloping yourself in the music can be an even more enjoyable and rewarding experience. Some realize how certain pieces of music, that “favorite tune”; change your mood, get you motivated, and help you concentrate. Most don’t think much about it and are just happy to listen to their favorite tune. And many ar