Cut loose

One gift of deadlines is that I finish things. Often things have sat for a season or more in the to-do pile. This piece started after a class last winter with Gabrielle Swain. The tree is hand-pieced. I found the work soothing, and I could work on it while visiting relatives. (I'll have to get something going for the Long Thanksgiving visit.) But instead of incorporating this into a larger piece, I decided yesterday to let it stand on it's own. I used my usual madness-takes-hold machine stitching, then worked back into it with acrylic paints to remove pointless white and bring more movement to the the ground. I like it a lot, too much, in fact, to put a price on it right now. I need at least a good photo before I let this puppy fly. The best part is it gives me ideas for the next piece, a voice worth listening too.