Monkshood/Wolfsbane

Spring 2012…

Welcome to the Aconitum — more commonly known as Monkshood AND Wolfsbane. As such, I’m working the 2 identities on opposite sides of the same fabric! For a look at the process, Visit the Video

This month has been all about making serious progress. I finished the Monkshood under painting and made a good start on Wolfsbane on the reverse side :

… stitching the leaves through from one side to the other and working the flowers (Monkshood purple and Wolfsbane yellow) in surface-only stitches…

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Sketching on the Wolfsbane

— developing mirror images of the same plant with their own characteristics on each side.

Don’t forget to Visit the Chronicles:

and the other poisons:

Mandrake: *visit Mandrake* Womandrake *visit Womandrake* Foxglove *visit Foxglove* Poet’s Narcissus *visit Poet’s Narcissus* Curious about the “how”? visit Tools & Workspace

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May2011Monkshood/Wolfsbane:   Lately, I’ve been exploring the possibilities for the Monkshood/Wolfsbane combo.  See, they’re actually the same plant, they’ve just earned different folklore (and often one’s purple and one’s yellow) such, I want to work them on opposite sides of the same fabric!!!

Now on to the painting and to figure out how I want to work the background…

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15April 2011

The Monkshood is moving along… though not without a few snags!

As I worked a few straight stitches, and a row of Brazilian Cast-ons, I realized I didn’t like the effect at ALL.Not only did the stitches not capture the texture of the leaf folds, but they just weren’t saying anything interesting — mostly they just sat there looking vaguely uncomfortable and out of place.

So, me & my handy seam ripper made thread salad out of those first attempts, and will start again this week.

Of course, Moshi is a big help, keeping the Monkshood from running away while I do some research:

First on my list of prep work is to try and capture the purple hues from my gardens: hyacinth and pansy – WOW!!

I can’t wait to get a paint brush on those lush colors!

Need some more Sinister?

andrake: *visit Mandrake*

Womandrake *visit Womandrake*

Foxglove *visit Foxglove*

Poet’s Narcissus *visit Poet’s Narcissus*

Curious about the “how”? visit Tools & Workspace

Wanna get the BIG picture? visit Sinister Stitch Home

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26 November 2010

Manifesting the Monkshood has been an exploration in hooded men. I have a sketch that I did while my great-grandpa & I had lunch one day in the mid 1990′s (I knew all of my great grandparents — cool, huh?). He said the guy looked like a monk…

Maybe an Isaiah…

I just knew I wanted to use that sketch for SOMEthing, but it had to be special…

fast forward about 15 years and BLAM! Sinister Stitch, my first work on a series, my first documentary project, my first attempt to manifest a themed multimedia work of art.  Special.

So, using Isaiah as my guide (thanks “grandad”), I am slowly revealing the Monkshood…  both to myself and to you.

This is going to be a GREAT project!