Well this piece is done. I have said all I want to. I made a few more lines of handstitch and some oil marks after rabbit-skin glue sizing sections. I never quite know when to stop but came to a natural close here. I could have risked more radical marks but really decided against that. I then stretched it up on a little wooden stretcher and may take it to my picture framer to be framed. He has some brilliant colour mouldings and distressed effect finishes on them so am sure I will find something appropriate. This piece has been made over the winter months and Christmas period. The stitch is meditative and slow, never done on the machine, It is like drawing in stitch but super slowly. The colours are the chakra colours in the centre and motifs taken from a drawing made on the spot in Hanoi last year. You can see the drawing on this blog if you scroll down. Click on images as per usual to enlarge and see the detail.

I drew this piece the other Thursday when I had a quiet afternoon and was ready to draw again after the Christmas and New Year festivities. I always find that holiday difficult in terms of being creative because there is little peace and quiet to be had. Don’t get me wrong, I do love Christmas and all that goes with it, but to retreat and draw is very hard! I managed to do this in charcoal pencil and watercolour on one of our few sunny afternoons. It is on handmade heavy paper in a large sketchbook gifted by my son last year.