I’ve been carrying a new stocking design around in my head for a while and the other day that sudden urgent hit where I needed to get it out of there and down on paper. You usually can’t pick those times, unfortunately. I just do things better when some unknown force tells me it’s that time, instead of trying to plan when to work on it. I like that sort of creative respect around letting things emerge when they’re supposed to, but logistically it doesn’t always work so well.
So what do you think?
I want it to loosely go with the baubles stocking below, but am wondering if it’s a little too similar in colours. I might tweak those a bit as I go. I love it when things go together but are different, not all matchy matchy. Thank you to Lorraine who stitched the stocking below and let me use the photo (and to Joan who did her usual amazing magic making it up), and thank you to Lorraine’s leap of faith in ordering the new stocking and even telling me what name will be on it without even seeing the rough sketch. I really appreciate that confidence! Lorraine has stitched an amazing number of Pippin canvases and stockings in particular. She’s a very very good auntie.
I scribbled in a black background on this one, just like on the baubles stocking. Maybe that’s what’s niggling at me. It makes the two too similar. I think I’d really like to try it in charcoal. Is that un-Christmasy? To me charcoal is such a lively warm colour. Not gloomy at all.
The thing about designing is that it often completely changes as I go through the stages. Getting it onto canvas is so different than roughly painting it on paper. It was so fun working on it. I love playing with bits of paper and slopping paint around and scribbling with felts. I get just as messy as when I was five.
So wish me luck and cross those fingers for the next stage: canvas!