I mentioned yesterday that I thought my wizard lacked something. I was referring to the area just over his shoulder on the right. I crop the photos you see to make the photos as small as possible so that folks, no matter how slow their Internet connection or old their computer, can load photos relatively quickly. So you don't see the big empty space there. I haven't started putting stone wall stitches on that side of the canvas yet, but the more I stitch this design, the more I think I'd like to add a detail in the setting to help the wizard look balanced. After all, diagonally to the left there is the wizard's staff, his books and the basket. I think I want something in the upper right to make the design look less like a wall with a painting removed.
So I went browsing among Joan Thomasson's other pieces, looking for details that would look good in the wizard piece. How about a stained glass window? Click on "Courses" on the left, and then look at the arched windows in the background of the Maruska piece. They look fun to stitch, too. You'd have to stitch the leaves, then the vines, then the window on top. However, our wizard is shown in winter. (Remember his wool socks? Plus I'm using Impressions, a silk-wool blend, which will give his robes a heavier look than summer wear has.) I think leaves would have to be omitted. Would that really detract from the windows to not have those leaves?
http://www.stitchinstuff.com/I kept looking. Actually, I was thinking of this piece when I started looking. I had the pleasure of seeing it in person on display at the ANG Seminar in 2001. It is really gorgeous!
http://www.needleart.org/Exemplary01/Happily.phpWhat you can't really see --and I can't find a better photo-- is the beautiful bird in the golden cage. This is a firebird and the quest item that the young prince went off to find. He happened to find a bride also and you see the wedding party on the left and center. I think adding a bird to the scene might be wonderful. But I have quite a bit of work to do to decide how to sketch it in. And I think the cage might be a bit too much since there is already so much metallic in the piece.
I obviously have a lot of decisions to make about this piece. But occasionally you will find that you want to tinker with a design to make it feel more "right" to you. I think this is going to be one of those occasions for me!
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