"COLEUS II" RUG HOOKING, LEAVES IN THE UNICORN TAPESTRIES

"Coleus II"  8" x 25",  Lori LaBerge  2015

"Coleus II" was completed this week and is ready for framing.  This work was done from a plein air sketch using exaggerated color.  The dark value of the background makes the leaves pop out more than they did in reality. 

I started thinking about tapestries while I was working on this piece.  Leaves have always fascinated me and while my eyes are first drawn to the main subject of a tapestry, they soon start studying any leaves in the work.

While in Scotland a couple years back, I took photos of the Unicorn Tapestries that were being recreated at Stirling Castle.  Here are some close-ups of leaves in the works.

Lower right --"The Unicorn at the Fountain"

There is quite a bit of light green as if sunlight was shining down on the leaves.  They have a small, slightly elongated shape to them allowing soft resting places, almost nests, for the oranges to grow.

Upper section --"The Start of the Hunt"

These leaves are in sharp contrast to the first set.  They are narrower and sharper in appearance, slightly reminiscent of poinsettia leaves.  The bright leaves in front stand out and contrast with the darker leaves in the background.

 Top center -- "The Captive Unicorn"

The leaves above resemble umbrellas shading the areas below.  They spread out with each leaf of each section partitioned out with slight overlap in places.  Again, we see the contrast in values around them, forcing them to stand out in front and creep into the background as they recede.

 Upper center -- "The Unicorn at Bay"

Some of the leaves above stand out while others blur into nothingness as they recede into the center of the tree.  They are broader at the base and the lighter value leaves in the forefront lead into middle and darker values.

 Lower section -- "The Unicorn at Bay"

The leaves on the left have lots of curves running in and out among them.  If you drew them your pencil would be moving up and down creating wavy lines and the leaves would extend horizontally.  The leaves on the right are opposite, reminiscent of a fan.  They are more vertical, substantially longer than they are wide and spreading out slighting at the ends.

  Far lower left --"The Unicorn is Brought to the Castle"

These leaves are more rounded with the base narrower than the upper portion.  Thick in growth, the squirrel has found a safe place to hide among them. 

"Great Tapestries: The Web of History from the 12th to the 20th Century" by Edita Lausanne.

I found this book at an antiquarian book fair years ago.  It has great photos in both color and black and white.  The color photos are bright, clear and show lots of depth.  There is an extensive history of works from Gothic to Contemporary (keep in mind the book was written in 1965), studying the past to see how tapestry evolved.

It contains vocabulary of tapestry terminology, information on looms, creating texture, dyeing, and cartoon drawings.  The book was written in 1965 and is over-sized.   My favorites sections were the contemporary works which were divided according to country and the one page section on the signatures used by tapestry workshops in the 15th -18th centuries.   

Enjoy the little things that are often overlooked, record them with camera or sketchpad and have a great day.

BACK FROM SCOTLAND, STIRLING CASTLE

I would like to thank Kami for taking over the blog while my husband and I were in Scotland.  I loved the color from Southern California and have chosen a logo for the website update I am working on.

Myself inside Stirling Castle, note the short door height on left and thick wall where the window is.

There was so much to see.  Scotland is truly a beautiful country.  We had a chance to take in both the cites and the countryside.  Our first stop was at Stirling Castle where Mary Queen of Scots was crowned at a little less than one year of age.  Later her son would be baptized there and placed in the royal nursery.

"The Hunt of the Unicorn" at Stirling Castle.

Stirling was a must-see on my list not just because of its history but as weavers are currently working on creating copies of the Unicorn Tapestries there.  Researchers found an inventory list from 1539 that mentioned two copies of Unicorn Tapestries. This information led to the project of recreating them as the originals are in the Cloisters Museum in New York.

"The Start of the Hunt"

The work on the tapestries is a collaboration between West Dean College and Historic Scotland.  It takes a labor-intensive two to four years to complete each tapestry with three weavers working at a time.  When we arrived they were working on the next to last work.  The series is to be completed in 2013.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed in the weaving room.  Below are more textile photos from our tour of Stirling.

"The Unicorn in Captivity"

"The Unicorn is Killed and Brought to the Castle"

The Queen's (Mary of Guise) bedroom was surrounded by elaborate fabrics of silk and brocaded gold.

The Queen's bedroom.  Persian carpet covering table and royal arms on cloth of estate above table.

Close-up of velvet, silk and fringe on canopy above bed.

Close-up of curtain bottom in castle.  Beautiful combination of color, pattern and texture.

Display of clothing of the period.  This was in the children's education area which had a closet of clothing styles of the period for children to play dress-up with.

There were cloth and dye rooms where children ( I played too!) could hit buttons to find where certain fabrics and dyes of the period came from.

I hope you enjoyed this textile tour through Stirling Castle.  Keep an eye out for all the fabrics that surround your world and have a great day!