So, it is always tough to know what to get your sister for her birthday. Especially if you've had a lot of birthdays. In this case, at least 29, per her count. We also share the SAME birthday, only 7 years apart. So that makes me 36. okay, if she says so.
My sister lives in a target rich area of thrift shops. Me, well, not so much. I have been gifted on many occasions with mystery boxes landing on my doorstep with random wool clothing that I am able to rip apart and use as parts and pieces of my wool dyeing experiments. I call them my Frankensteins. That's because A) they are body parts of garments and B) you never know what is going to come out of the dye pot. This happens because old garments have been dry cleaned many times with various chemicals or washed at home with strange stuff. Below is one of the most recent batches.
So, any way, I figured it was about time that I send her some of this wool back. I sat down and drew a pencil sketch from a photo and then taped it to my kitchen window. After I had transferred it to the linen backing, I actually re-drew and changed several things on the table. My sister had a green house built in her backyard this year and I had her standing inside.
Here the work has just begun and it is bumpy and lumpy while wool is being taken in and out to test the effect of colors.
One thing I always recommend to all hookers is to pin your rug to the back of a sofa and step back. It will give great perspective. I am not a gal who wants to do rug portraits that are accuarate down to the last shaded detail. Those are not my favorite style of rug. I prefer to give a folk art rendering of a baby sister who has big blue eyes, baby bunnies in her greenhouse, and a love of all things green. Happy Birthday Little Sister !
P.S. The green Haired beauty is my college niece, Shannon.
