Aug 31, 2009

Stitchin Fingers Challenge Piece


he challenge piece gives us the option of incorporating one or more fans provided. We can use all or one of them, make them larger, smaller, and have creative license with color and patterns with a preference of traditional Japanese techniques. This challenge immediately piqued my creative side and the need to take a small rest from the phase piece Sake Boxes that I am currently working.

For this piece I have decided to keep the amount of stitching to a limit with just one fan and just love the design possibilities of doing the ume or plum. The group recommended that I look into the Japanese bush warbler as this little guy is often depicted in traditional designs with ume. Indeed, there are some beautiful scrolls online that include these two elements as well as pine.


Originally I envisioned all three fans within this design and may one day return to it to create a multi panel piece with them as well as other birds of North America. Perhaps my goal in the future will be to symbolize the "east meets west" through my nuido and include some birds I am more familiar with like the blue jay, titmouse, or chickadee.

Bush warblers are fast, musical little birds.



After watching a couple of videos like this one, I realized that they are they are not the type to carry a weighted ribbon but would be great looking a bit cheeky checking out a fan. Soooo.... my design incorporates the male bush warbler (green) perched on a plum limb bedazzled by an ume fan that is hanging from a fan by a beautiful cord or ribbon swaying in the breeze....
Here is my the line drawing of my design. What do you think?

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