Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Needlepoint Portrait

Melissa Shirley's Red Geisha

I've been thinking about needlepoint portraits a bit lately, spurred by this counted canvaswork image of Catherine the Great from Gay Ann Rogers. Gay Ann's been posting finished versions of her design on her website home page. She also has photos of her Queen Elizabeth I, as well as Bess of Hardwick and Mary, Queen of Scots still on her website, too.  Click on "Elizabethean" to see them.
http://www.gayannrogers.com

It's interesting how each portrait is a tad different, even though they were all stitched from the same counted canvaswork set of instructions.  Each has a bit of their own personality added by their stitcher.  In needlepoint faces, one stitch can make a huge difference.  You can see this in Penny MacLeod's painted canvas portraits, too.  Look at all the women on The Collection's website (The Collection is Penny's distributor).  Each has a different expression--wary, inquisitive, bold, puzzled, friendly.
http://www.thecollectiondesigns.com/penny-macleod.html

Even stylized faces of geishas can have their expression changed with just one stitch.  Above is Melissa Shirley's Red Geisha which I stitched for her.  Look at her lips.  The expression could be very different if I hadn't left the tiny red stitch between her parted lips visible.  Now to me she looks like she is about to speak.

Maybe we'll talk about faces later this week.

By the way, Red Geisha is being discontinued so if you fall in love, act before Melissa runs out of stock.
http://melissashirleydesigns.com/galcol/?col=171

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 12, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

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