Ellen Lindner: Art & Creativity

My local fiber art group is having a White on White challenge.  Since I like vivid colors and strong contrasts, that’s a bit of a stretch for me.  But one that I welcome.  Still, I’m VERY thankful that we’re interpreting the definition of white pretty loosely!

I decided that such a delicate color scheme might be served best with a delicate subject matter.  So, I began to consider tree branches:  white on tan, maybe.  But, how to depict them?  To find the answer, I began to experiment.

Click the image for a much larger view.

How should I create the white branches?  Paintstiks? Acrylic paint, oil pastels, ink…?
But, I need some black stitching to define the branches, right?  Single stitching or double?
What about shading?  Can I do that effectively on a small scale?  Is it even needed?
And what about the background stitching?  Stippling, echo, or something entirely different?

I don’t think I’ve hit on the perfect combination yet, but I’m having lots of fun on the journey.  One happy accident:  I noticed that the reddish “stains” on this scrap are quite nice.  I think I’ll try to replicate something like them.

What experimenting have you been doing lately?

Ellen Lindner