Flying Haystacks Hand Embroidery

Exhibiting in Fiber Philadelphia 2012

2012-01-24T19:03:00.004-05:00

This piece will be included in the show "Outside/Inside the Box" which is part of the International Biennial Fiber Philadelphia 2012.

The show will be held at Icebox Project Space located in the Crane Arts building in Philadelphia.

The opening reception is Saturday, March 3, 5-8 PM. I'll be attending.

Exhibiting in group show

2011-11-21T18:40:00.003-05:00

This, this and this will be in the upcoming Art of Fiber exhibit at Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. The show runs from November 23rd to December 31st, opening reception is on the 25th from 5-7 PM. I won't be able to attend but if anyone is around the area please check it out for me and let me know how it looks!

New

2011-10-27T18:32:00.006-04:00

This is the largest piece I have yet completed in embroidery, 6 1/2" x 6 1/2". Actually I think there is another one with the same size, but not as dense. This one is completely filled solid with stitches.
It started out with the central figure based on an image from an old 50's French cheesecake magazine. Then I had a flash of late 60's comic book sci-fi influence. Then a PBS show about chickens happened. Then all hell broke loose, literally. The human figure plummeting through the demonized depths on the left side is myself.

What I have been trying to avoid is too much use of a black outline on things to define them, to pull them out of the background. I want to make everything look 'painterly'. Adding a black outline looks too 'cartoonish'. I have nothing against cartoon imagery but I just want things to look more painterly. But I couldn't avoid using black outlines in this one.

This piece took too long. I think my stitching may be slowing. Maybe I have reached 'stitching Nirvana' and I no longer am aware or care of the passing time. Nah. Next one is going to be smaller.

Exhibiting in group show

2011-08-12T21:09:00.004-04:00

I will be showing this piece and this piece in "in-organic", a group show of fiber artists curated by Jennifer Hunold at Collar Works Gallery in Troy, New York.
The show runs from August 26th to September 16th. Opening reception is on Aug. 26th from 5-9 PM. I plan on attending.

From the press release:
"in - organic showcases how fiber has become a dominant medium of choice by artists across the country. With innovative adaptations to historically rich techniques and materials, these sixteen artists are invigorating these mediums with new perspectives and applications. in - organic includes a range of works that integrate fiber with painting, sculpture, drawing, assemblage/collage, and installation, while addressing topics that range from the body to politics, memories to the environment. These textile works -- previously allocated to the periphery of artistic dialogue as kitsch, craft, or hobby art -- are gaining recognition with a captivating energy that is recontextualizing traditional notions of “craft.” The exhibition draws work from coast to coast, including California, Montana, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York."

Stitching in the Park

2011-07-10T22:11:00.003-04:00

This is basically what I do on weekends in the warmer months - take my current hoop, needle and threads and venture out. This is Prospect Park Brooklyn.

Backs

2011-05-26T20:07:00.007-04:00

I know I've admitted before that the backs can be more beautiful and interesting than the fronts.
Here we have, in order, the back of this one finished.
Next we have the back of this one finished.
Finally there is the back of one of them, not sure which, when it was in progress.

Interview at Mr. X Stitch

2011-04-24T09:29:00.002-04:00

I was interviewed for the "eMbroidery" series (which centers on male embroiderers) over at Mr. X Stitch.

Thanks Jamie (AKA Mr X Stitch)!

Gay for Eagles Show

2011-04-21T09:25:00.003-04:00

You can go here to see and purchase some of the work at the group show I am currently in.

Exhibiting in Group show

2011-03-31T14:23:00.005-04:00

I will be exhibiting this piece at the Hotel Hadley Studios group Fiber Art show "Gay for Eagles".

The show runs from April 15th to May 14th at Hotel Hadley Studios in Siler City, North Carolina.

Thanks to curator and fiber artist Drucilla Pettibone for accepting my work into this exhibit.

I will probably not make the opening but I will be there in spirit!

Finally finished

2011-03-07T19:08:00.005-05:00

This took me around 4 months to do, maybe more. It was the longest I ever worked on a single embroidery. I got so tired of it at one point that I took a month and a half 'off' and worked on something else. I think the main problem was that I went on top of the area of black thread on the right half with the 'invisible' monofilament thread, and it was very difficult because the monofilament got buried a lot. Sometimes it would take 2,3 or 4 stitches before anything would actually become visible. I explain this dilemma and other problems in a series of videos that I recorded during the 'making' of this piece. The first one can be found here and they continue on in subsequent posts. I also have the full collection (except the first one) as a playlist on youtube called "New Hoop".
Total size is about 5 1/4" x 5".

New embroidery

2011-01-30T18:43:00.003-05:00

I decided to make a plan and do small embroideries (2.5 x 3.5 inches), one a month for this entire year. This took me about a month and a half. Oh well. I'll try some more.
This photo is thoroughly inadequate.

New Hoop video blogging still going

2010-12-17T09:24:00.002-05:00

More again with new Hoop

2010-12-11T17:36:00.000-05:00

Back to new hoop

2010-12-08T12:36:00.002-05:00

Continuing on with the new hoop which was last posted about here.

Drawings cont.

2010-12-04T10:51:00.000-05:00

Continued from the previous post.

Drawings

2010-12-01T09:18:00.001-05:00

This is in response to a request that I show more post-it drawings. I had many stashed away that I forgot about that I was going to make embroideries from. Well, here they are along with some other things I have gathered for inspiration / reference.
There will be a part 2.

New Hoop, yes more video

2010-11-20T20:55:00.001-05:00

…….more of the attempted metallic thread 'tutorial' and continuing on with this work.

New Hoop more video

2010-11-14T20:42:00.001-05:00

Continuing on with the new hoop, last seen here. In this 'episode' I attempt a little tutorial about using metallic thread (which will continue in the next post).

Video Explanation - Final

2010-11-13T11:17:00.003-05:00

Continuing from here and here about this.
Just wanted to show more super-close-ups. The color is much better in this one!

Video Explanation (continued)

2010-11-11T09:13:00.002-05:00

Continuation from this video describing this work.

Video Explanation

2010-11-10T09:15:00.001-05:00

Video 'explanation' of this . I apologize for the poor video - some of it being blown-out, yellow lighting, out of focus, …...but the audio is o.k. , I hope its not annoying to watch.

Pseudo Surreal

2010-11-08T19:28:00.004-05:00

This is probably the most difficult thing to 'see' I have made. It must be viewed in person and close. It must be examined and not looked at as a whole. I mean, it CAN be, but......double-click if you can.
I will post a video explanation soon.

Video - even closer close-ups

2010-11-01T09:30:00.001-04:00

I was able to get even closer.

Current Hoop - still even more continuing video - close-ups

2010-10-30T17:17:00.003-04:00

Finally got a super macro lens for some nice extreme close-up shots.

Current Hoop - even more continuing video

2010-10-29T22:05:00.002-04:00

Current Hoop more continuing video

2010-10-28T09:19:00.001-04:00

Current Hoop continuing video

2010-10-24T18:12:00.002-04:00

Current Hoop - even more video

2010-10-22T23:03:00.004-04:00

Current hoop - more Video

2010-10-20T09:37:00.009-04:00

Ok, I got a Camcorder and did more 'video-blogging' of the current hoop I am working on. Please note since I was using a Tungsten lightbulb and there is no white balance for my camcorder, the color is a tad yellowish. However there is much better detail, and you can even view in High Definition on Youtube (click here).

Current hoop - Video

2010-10-09T23:44:00.005-04:00

I have wanted to start experimenting with videoing my embroidering for a while. This is a small start. My memory card doesn't record as long as the manual said, so it cut me off mid sentence. The quality is also not very good. But, this is just a 'first test'. Let me know what you think. If people think I should contunue, I'll go out and buy a decent video recorder instead of just using my 'still' camera. If no one says anything I don't care, I'm going to continue this anyway.

Artists Talk

2010-09-30T18:43:00.005-04:00

I will be participating in the Artists' Talk for the Cutting Edge show at the Textile Arts Center. Date: Friday October 8th at 7PM.

Link:

http://textileartscenter.com/modules/news/newsitem.php?ItemId=23

Presentation solutions

2010-09-09T15:02:00.008-04:00

During a critique of my work the idea of how to display them in a gallery environment had arisen. I realized that the small frames I made were not strong enough to present them in such a situation.
Something else was needed to get a viewers attention from across a room, and also to instruct them on how to view and perceive the work.
I got a lot of ideas at the critique. What I wanted was a simple, contemporary solution. I also wanted to simplify because I want all the 'action' to be happening in the embroidery itself. Truth is I hate doing anything but the actual work, so it was a bit of a chore.
I ended up stitching the embroideries to black velvet, and then wrapping them around thick matte board, then attaching that to a larger thick matte board (also wrapped in black velvet) which was then placed into a black wooden frame with no glass. The frame became a bit like a shadowbox since the edges stick out a bit and 'protect' the embroidery.
The black velvet does play into the religious overtones (undertones?) in the work, but I chose it because it made the work 'pop' better than other fabrics.
I was thinking that much, much larger frames might even be better, but this is what I ended up with and I think it works pretty good. Now, if placed in a gallery setting (which will actually be happening within a week or so), the viewer will (hopefully) be drawn to the work even from a far distance since the isolation inside the black area makes it more curious, and then with the black velvet and frame around to block out distractions, can concentrate and contemplate the details.

Group show

2010-08-31T20:04:00.007-04:00

I will be exhibiting two pieces (this one and this one) in an upcoming Fiber Artists group show - "Cutting Edge: A Celebration of Fibers" at the newly opening Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn. The show is part of the grand opening of the center. It is located at 505 Carroll Street (Park Slope/Gowanus area), Brooklyn, New York City. Read more about the center at their web site.

The show runs from September 17th to October 11th. There will be an opening gala on Friday the 17th from 8 -11 PM.
Also, an artists talk is scheduled in October, actual date to be announced.
I will be attending the opening gala and artist talk, and I hope to see many (any) of you there!

Finished

2010-08-18T19:30:00.004-04:00

The Black Fabric Hoop finished.
There are some French knots, my first time doing them. There is invisible floss and also transparent/translucent fishing line, plus some new varieties of metallic floss. I did a lot of experimenting on this one.
Size is about 6 1/2" inches diameter.

Group

2010-07-13T18:24:00.005-04:00

I recently joined a Fiber Artists Collective right here in Brooklyn. So far it has been a great experience - meeting other fiber artists, seeing each others work, sharing information about shows, etc. A few days ago I had a critique with them. It was a good experience. Basically the major point was in regards to my presentation (frames, mountings and such), which I immediately started working on and will post images of soon. Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to Joetta Maue, the group's founder and accomplished Fiber artist, for starting the group!
She left a mention of the critique on her blog.

The Unfinished

2010-06-19T15:24:00.015-04:00

I started doing embroidery as a result of using stitches to compliment my collages. But the thread took over so fiercely that I abandoned a few of them in favor of full-on fabric embroidery. I kept some of them close though, small ones that I had mounted onto card stock, in the same bag as my metallic and invisible thread, spare poly bags and other odds and ends. I thought I would go back to them and eventually stitch them to completion. At first I was doing this, but soon my hoop work dominated my mind and they became pretty much forgotten. I'm always fumbling through this bag to retrieve one thing or another, brushing past the collages like they were forgotten people.

Recently I fished them all out and placed them in front of me. I remember distinctly stitching gold onto one while I was watching the Summer Olympics. That was two years ago. And they are still in my bag? What for? Maybe it's time to finally finish them. After I finish the current hoop I'm on of course. Maybe.........

Featured on Hand Embroidery Network

2010-04-12T09:39:00.003-04:00

Link:
http://handembroiderynetwork.blogspot.com/2010/04/mythological-beasts-tod-hensley.html

Thanks Sarah!

Featured on Additions Style blog

2010-03-19T09:26:00.002-04:00

I was asked to guest-blog. Thanks Additions Style!

http://additionsstyle.blogspot.com/2010/03/artist-to-inspire-flying-haystacks.html

Black in Progress

2010-03-11T20:21:00.009-05:00

Ahh, black fabric. I been waitin' for this!.....

Ah yes, the majesty of black fabric.....

(can't make up my mind how to start this post).....

How about -

Black fabric - it doesn't suck...... metallic thread will pop on this......the contrast, the glistening, the joy! The continuing problem of difficulty photographing, hurrah!.....

Some time back I was coveting a book of African peoples who had their faces and bodies adorned with beautiful pigments and leaves, etc. A friend bought it for me (thanks friend!). I used that book as a reference for some of the faces (I think they are more than obvious).

To the far left (when looking at the entire hoop) is the Fertility Goddess, or Idol (not sure which exactly). I was trying to make an overtly sexual female image, but the 'Goddess/Idol' came out instead, putting me in my place, as if to teach me not to take the concept of human female sexuality so frivolously. I'm humbled.

The 'ghost-like' face in the middle was sewn on top of other stitches. I wanted to have an even more transparent, layered effect than what resulted. Maybe next time, if possible. Hey - can I get transparent floss anywhere?

The rule to this hoop was 'if I feel trapped, stop and do something else'. Now I feel so free, I'm losing my momentum. Well, I wanted to play more with cutting and re-assembling sections together. I think that's what I'll do next, or maybe just make a bunch of smaller images like I did with the other large hoop.

The face on the far right, made with lots of tiny metallic stitches looks like its made of shiny beads. Its not very 'sharp', even when looking at it up close and in person. The facial features do not clearly define themselves. Of course, the photograph is even more muddled. Sometimes I feel like giving the ole' heave-ho to this blog because the images don't come close to the experience of the originals. But alas, that's the problem lots of artists have. did I just call myself an artist? Oops!

Red and Brains and....

2010-02-22T19:37:00.005-05:00

This is sort of a follow up on the self portrait. It continues the theme of certain problems which emanate from the quality and workings of the brain. We don't get to choose our brain. What would happen if we had a better model?

I wanted to work on a colored surface. I almost chose black but the red won out instead. I also wanted to use all metallic threads.
For the first time I didn't fill every inch of my working space with stitches. For much of it, I let the fabric exist as it was. I was planning to leave much more alone but then I fell upon the glorious accident which I described in the previous post.
The figure was supposed to be me. But when I did the head I knew it couldn't be. It looked too much like one of those zombie-type things found on heavy metal posters in some adolescents room. I wasn't happy with it, but what could I do? It stayed.

This is the largest thing I've done. it measures about 7 inches diameter.

I left it round, left it flat. I just sewed up the edges and left the back exposed, which may or may not look as interesting as the front.

Work in progress / Serendipity

2010-01-23T20:31:00.009-05:00

I never pull a stitch out. I try to work with it or cover it over. In this case some black lines got a little out of control and I wanted to get rid of them completely, like they weren't there at all. Instead of searching for a suitable thread color which would resemble the red fabric I was working on, I decided to pull strands from the very fabric itself, pulling it apart, un-weaving it. The strands were not very strong, but with careful stitching I managed to cover over my error, the result looking like a scar. After a while I realized I had added a kind of subtle texture to the fabric, which I liked, so I began to do it deliberately. Now I am covering much of this piece with this 'new, discovered-by-accident' technique. It's creating a nice, 'background' effect.

Interview on Donkeywolf Blog

2010-01-08T23:20:00.006-05:00

Penny Nickels of Donkeywolf Blog interviewed me. Thanks Penny!

http://donkeywolf.blogspot.com/2010/01/tod-hensley-flying-haystacks-embroidery.html

"SHPSBDTFTJUME"

2009-12-07T19:19:00.008-05:00

(the full title can be seen on an earlier post).
I was inspired by the James Ensor exhibit at MOMA. I placed myself in the midst of demons as metaphors of psychological distress which can possibly result in physical ailments. Perhaps the act of creating and posting this work will act as an exorcism and cure/free me.
Aesthetically, the rule was not to have a stitch/stroke adjacent to another of the same color, to avoid solid areas of color. I suppose that could also be some kind of metaphor.
When placed horizontally, this piece puffs out with bumps and texture, like a miniature mountain. The red "evil" eye is, strangely, at the very highest point. That was not intentional.....

Bird

2009-11-23T19:28:00.005-05:00

The first in a planned series of black and white, smaller and 'simpler' embroideries.
Unfortunately the series didn't last long. This is the only one (so far I suppose).

Anyway, this is the bird. The dark bird. The bird that resides somewhere within the barren, leafless trees in the winter. The bird that you think you see from a distance at dusk, as you are hurrying to get home before dark. The bird that lands on your bedroom windowsill in the dead of night while you sleep and punctures your chest with its long, sharp beak....
(hey, its not my fault, these things just come into my head!)....

Diablo

2009-11-17T21:28:00.005-05:00

(getting tired of using the word 'demon'). This looks like a sad one. Confined to the lonely world of the abyss. Lost....
The 'face' and outer edge is all metallic thread. I used stitches of regular black thread to create a shading effect, like the technique of crosshatching with pen and ink.
I am very inspired by the art of Mexican metal tooling and tried to make this piece resemble the shiny metal, textural surfaces of that art form. Of course, you can't really see the raised textured surface in the photo.

Mr. X Stitch

2009-10-26T09:44:00.002-04:00

Embroidery posted on Mr. X Stitch blog.
Thank you Mr. X Stitch!

http://www.mrxstitch.com/2009/10/23/stitchgasm-flying-haystacks/

Work in progress

2009-09-29T21:23:00.008-04:00

I started this in August after seeing the James Ensor exhibit at MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art, New York City). It's tentatively entitled "Self, half-possessed, surrounded by demons. The f*cking tic junked up my eye". I think I want to stitch those words, somewhat obscured, into the piece but I'm not sure its going to happen.
I was on the way to finishing but the demons keep on manifesting and I'm happily obliging.

Arteries, veins, unbroken meadows

2009-08-28T21:24:00.009-04:00

This is another in my continuing theme of demon/human forms. The doorway is taken from so many Medieval paintings, as is the gold metallic thread which is to resemble gold leaf.
I did much of this piece while at Prospect Park, Brooklyn. In the spring and summer I spend many a weekend afternoon there with my 'portable sewing studio' i.e. a bag. Anyhow, there is a long stretch of open grass in the park called 'Long Meadow'. It's supposedly one of the longest stretches of unbroken meadow in any U.S. park.
As I stitched my way through the arteries and veins in this figure it came to my mind that I was "contemplating the circulatory system on Long Meadow". It occurred to me that that would be a good sentence to use if I was ever talking about this piece. That was over a year ago, way before I started this blog. Well, finally, I'm 'talking' about this piece but I just can't use that sentence seriously in good conscious. It's just too darn hokey. I'm already concerned enough about how much of my written explanations are just pretentious, masturbatory dribble, I don't need to knowingly make it worse.
This is the last of the excisions from the large hoop.

Embroidery featured on Blog

2009-08-24T13:02:00.003-04:00

My embroidery has been featured on Handmade Unique Blog.
Thank you very much Handmade Unique!

http://handmadeunique.blogspot.com/2009/08/unique-embroidery-by-flyinghaystacks.html

Astronomy, Art and Insignificance

2009-08-21T21:57:00.009-04:00

"Three Celestial Studies:
1 - Spiral Galaxy
2 - Comet and Ion Tail
3 - Diffuse Nebulae"

The heavenly bodies were formed with one of my favorite flavours of painters floss. The purple 'space' around each of them was made using three different purple colors from three different spools, all mixed together. I often mix colors but in this case I especially remembered the futility of using three very similar purple colors since I knew they would blend and look as one. The difference is too small to notice. Its pretty insignificant. Its insignificant just like we are compared to all the heavenly bodies in the universe and beyond.

First time using embroidered text.

Animal Head

2009-08-14T21:31:00.007-04:00

This was started in the Summer of 2008, inspired by the myriad of fauna in the Cabinet of Natural Curiosities tome that I had recently purchased. It was supposed to be some kind of animal head.
It lay dormant for a year on the big hoop, then I recently revisited it and tried to continue the animal thing but something went wrong. Maybe I lost my initial inspiration, or it was replaced. Now its more of an Animal-God-Spirit head of some sort. The large, oval shaped 'eye' is built up of metallic thread and 'pops out' about a half-centimeter from the surface.
Influences: Asian art, Indian Religious art.

Eyes

2009-08-07T21:17:00.015-04:00

Some of the people who sell incense on the sidewalks of New York City also have religious paraphernalia. I recall seeing an image like this once, or close to it. All I remember were many eyes upon 'its' head and body.
Not sure if this is a God, or Demigod, it could be some kind of deity perhaps.
The 'meaning' that immediately comes to my mind to all those eyes is that of the 'all seeing, all knowing God', a God of wisdom. But I'm sure that the image of my memory probably had much deeper and more specific intents for the symbolic eyes.
As for this image, it's just my re-incarnation of another incarnation that I saw, or thought I did, or wanted to see, with my own two eyes, or out of the corner of my eye, or in my minds eye.

Pink Lizard with Egg

2009-07-31T22:10:00.011-04:00

"The Lizard Egg which spawns the Polliwog which becomes the Pink Lizard that has been split into sections for educational purposes".

The lizard egg was taken directly from an illustration in the "Cabinet of Natural Curiosities" book, minus a lot of detail. I tried to get in as much detail as I could
though, it's so dense with stitches it's probably bulletproof.
The lizard is of my own design (if you want to call it a design). I have a small bag of leftover bits of thread. From that bag I took all that was pinkish and that became the skin. I wanted the lizard to look like something from a science book, with cross sections to display it's inner body parts. But the body sections came out crooked instead of lined up evenly, so it kind of loses the 'science book display' feel. Obviously my mind wandered from idea to execution. That probably reflects my life.
The egg and lizard were excised from the larger hoop and implanted onto a white shirt fabric. I did a 'loop stitch' thing all around the edges to make it look more 'finished'. Is there an actual name for that 'technique'? If there is feel free to let me know what its called.

Wolf Spirit

2009-07-24T22:40:00.006-04:00

This was taken from the large hoop I was working on from my earlier post. Not much to say about it except that I was inspired by the "Cabinet of Natural Curiosities" book I bought last summer.
This one is not stretched on a frame, I took it off the hoop, stitched it to some red fabric I bought and then stitched that to canvas.

Frames

2009-06-30T20:54:00.010-04:00

I wanted the pieces to look like 'paintings' so I thought it would look good to stretch them onto frames (like a painting is stretched onto stretcher bars). Well, they don't make stretcher bars small enough for my embroideries so I had to improvise. I bought some square wooden dowels at Lowes (5/8" - nice and thick), cut them into sections, cut the ends into 45 degree angles, and glued and stapled them together. I am a poor woodworker but it did the job. Then I 'stretched' the embroidered fabric around them much the same way one would stretch a painters canvas and stapled it securely. Even though they were small it was still a challenge to get everything straight and even with minimum wrinkles.
The result was a more 'presentable' piece (to me) and can also be hung on a wall.

Works in Progress

2009-06-23T21:01:00.004-04:00

I've been working on this large hoop off and on since last summer. At first it was going to be one big image, then I decided to cut it into smaller individual pieces, then I decided it would be one big image, now I've decided to cut it into smaller individual pieces. I have already cut some of them. I'll be able to get about 6 small works from this which I hope to have completed within 2 weeks.

Snake Spirit

2009-06-19T22:03:00.011-04:00

As usual, I had an idea what this was going to be, but after a few stitches I got bored and decided to improvise. I had just bought some nice red painters floss. I used the red as the "Alpha Male" - it boldy forged the way into the unknown of the blank fabric. There is always a danger in improvisation. I never take thread out once it is stitched. And you can only cover over thread one or maybe two times with more thread before it gets too thick and impenetrable. So its a do or die type of thing.
The red started forming into lines and geometric patterns. I was thinking Native American animal skin paintings. I added some blue, then green. It started to look like a map. A map of a park perhaps. Grass, water. Then somehow the face emerged, and quickly dominated. After I did the face I knew what I wanted the body to look like, and I knew it would be the bulk of the piece and everything else would be just 'background'. So after that the spontaneity was gone and it became laborious.
But this is not just an image. It is a real spirit. Incarnate. It belongs on an alter, not a wall.

Painters Floss, Robots and Op-Art

2009-06-18T19:11:00.012-04:00

Another great discovery I found out about after a year into sewing was the existence of 'Painter's Floss'. Painters Floss is an embroidery thread that is dyed with different colors. It comes in various color schemes - some subtle and monochromatic, some are extreme and psychedelic. The fun thing is that you are assured NOT to have the same color in a single strand of thread.
I went into a new hoop again with no ideas. But I did know I wanted to use the Painters Floss. The first thing that happened was the African mask head at the top. And then gold and red metallic thread turned into a skeletal structure. I suddenly started thinking of high tech robotry. Even robots have an internal structure, like we have bones. In this case the 'bones' are visible on the outside. There is a clear, almost invisible outer shell casing that these robot-beings have. Again, we are talking light years ahead of our modern scientific possibilities. Vampire robot? Maybe. Phallus? I don't know why.
The 'Succubus Angel Robot' (for lack of a better name) developed next (the model from the magazine I used as a reference certainly didn't have a halo on HER head).
The full metallic threaded mask was African and Asian inspired, although the thin, slick, metallic threads definitely jived with the robot theme, as they were like little circuit wires themselves.
I flooded the background with the Painters floss. Earthy colors - blue, green, brown, the yellows and oranges like the leaves of Autumn, all in stark contrast with the shiny, glittery technology.
Then there was the hot pink and white multicolored floss which complimented and contrasted with the earthen hues.
I laid down the painters floss while contemplating crop circles, optical illusions, country door decorations and water.

Devil

2009-06-17T20:09:00.012-04:00

I used to be scared of certain types of images of demons and devils. Mostly, the 'generic' kind that you see on Tarot cards or in stuff you find at Botanicas and such. The basic 'red guy' with the horns and tail and all. For some reason that basic image always scared me and I thought it was 'bad' to have it in my possession.
So I decided to perform an exorcism on myself. I made just that type of devil image that I was scared of. Slowly but surely as I continued to sew and form the image over the weeks I eventually stopped being scared. Now, I 'own' that image. I made it. I'm in control. I have the power. I'm not a-scared anymore.

Sea Creature

2009-06-16T21:59:00.010-04:00

I bought a nice pink color thread and started 'drawing' right onto the fabric with it. I made a head. Eventually it spawned several crab like clawed arms, a body and a tail.
I wanted the face to have layers, like it was aged, or looked like some old city that had been buried by sand. Eventually I got some little bits of chains and sewed them onto the face, a couple I glued. This was my first attempt at trying to render a figure to look a bit three-dimensional.
This took about 3 months.
I don't title any of my work. Titling is an art in itself which I'm no good at. I nicknamed it 'lobster boy'. I guess I could have called it "Microscopic Water Anomoly Fig . 1". Maybe that would work.

First with Embroidery hoop

2009-06-16T21:29:00.007-04:00

I did some research and found out what those things all the grandmothers were using in movies and such I had seen - they were sewing with embroidery hoops (duh # 2!). I got one, stretched fabric on it and started.
I am interested in Religious art and also the concept of the duality of angels, devils and humans. To me they are all the same.
I wanted it to look like a 'little painting'. It took a couple of months. The background is red, copper and gold metallic threads.
Eventually I sewed the fabric onto some canvas and stretched it on a wooden frame.

First 'true' embroidery

2009-06-16T21:19:00.002-04:00

I liked using the thread, so I decided to create an actual full image with the stitches. Then I realized - duh - people call that embroidery. I took a small piece of fabric and drew out a crude image I got from online, it was a mask of a demon monkey face. The finished embroidery doesn't look much like the image but I was happy with the result. I added some snakey-things around the head and stitched it to some collage material.

Beginnings

2009-06-16T21:07:00.004-04:00

I was making some small collages and I decided that I liked part of one and part of another. I always liked the look of stitches and so I decided a good solution would be to stitch the different parts that I liked together. Eventually the stitches became more than just a way to join things, they became marks of themselves, like paint strokes or ink lines. Shapes came soon.

First post

2009-06-16T20:55:00.001-04:00

Hello. I am creating this Blog to share my hand embroidery which I started doing in the Fall of 2007. I have always been a visual artist doing mostly paintings and collage. I started adding stitches to some of the collages and then the thread took over from there.

Currently I have an Etsy shop of my embroidery pieces:

flyinghaystacks.etsy.com.