studio sunday

'if i fits i sits' friday

making veronica

Veronica baby, you makin' me crazy.

Veronica was my muse. In November of 2012, I set a lofty goal of 5 pet portraits by Christmas. On the 25th of December, we were to drive from Massachusetts to Philly to spend a couple days with my boyfriend Dave's family. I knew this goal was ambitious, and at some point during a mild panic in mid-December, I decided I would gift his family half-finished pets. They'd get the eventually, and at least they'd see the thought at Christmas.

Part of the reason I was behind is that Veronica's fur drove me to distraction. Her complex fur composition had me distracted for weeks.

Veronica was composed of three fabric pieces. Her construction was quite simple. Her fur, however, is variegated and carries a lot of depth. Each strand has stripes of its own, creating layers of dimension. On top of this are many stripes and spots.

I was so excited to recreate her fur. I couldn't match the beige outer tones of her fur with the perfect fabric or embroidery floss. In lieu of the perfect color, I used color pointillism to create hue change in the beige where necessary. This helped to create the depth of color I was drawn to in Veronica's fur.

I made dozens of tiny stitches. I made so many that by the end, it was difficult to pierce through the embroidery floss web on the back of the piece.

Playing with the portrait. She ultimately became an ornament.

"I Love Myself" ~ Courtesy of TWPowell

Veronica, like many muses, wore me out. I grew tired of trying to capture the varied points of color accents. Embroidery has many limitations, and with a subject as detailed as Veronica, and a palette as small as my 1.3 square in. fabric cut-out, there's only so much that can be done.

This is where it's time to get creative. I am a detail person. I like to think about the details. But I also love problem solving. And this was a problem to be solved. I decided to focus on her most striking features, make them bold, and compliment them with pointed color mixing.

Ultimately, I grew to be most fond of her playful, tail-less sister Flopsy. But Veronica will always be the one who got away.

studio sunday

His and her homework on an Amtrak

Riding trains with Dave Powell is in my top 5 of favorite things to do.

'if i sits i fits' friday

old drawer during kitchen renovation

the story of veronica

Veronica: The ancient Macedonian name for "She who brings victory." It was a popular name amongst reigning dynasties of Alexander the Great's era.

Veronica here is the queen. Her regal coat is shiny and full, multicolored with distinctive spots and stripes. Her tail is long and swanky. She runs the show.

Mme. Veronica

She's earned her stripes as the temptress-alpha-kitty around the house. She's engaging and confident, has a swagger fitting of Manhattan. She knows how to get attention.

Veronica ~ Copyright TWPowell

Veronica is Flopsy's sister.

baby sista' kitties ~ Copyright TWPowell

These two are much bigger these days, but they've had each others' backs since day one. That's the way it goes in the West Village. You watch out for your own.

These lovely ladies have been through a lot together. Hurricane Sandy turned a lot of lives upside down, and these kitties had their fair share of struggles. All in their world is well now, thank the stars. And they're both wiser and stronger for it.

It should be said that Veronica is just as sweet as she is street. And sewing her was a treat: making veronica.

studio sunday

Today in the studio ~

'if i fits i sits' friday

She reminds me of a hedgehog when she lays like that.

potting pig plants

I have a fabulous retro piggy planter. She is the sweetest. A couple months ago, I repotted the panda plant she's been carrying around. I've been keeping my eye out for a new plant-dress for her, but nothing spoke to me until I found two baby plants with small green leaves and pink spots.

They perfectly compliment the color and nature of this pig.

The drainage hole on this planter gets clogged pretty easily. During the winter, the soil of the panda plant got a little moldy. I reckon it was due to the build up of moisture, and the lack of sun to dry out the soil. I added some broken terra cotta to the bottom of the planter, and all was well for the remainder of the winter. I do this for all planters now as a best practice. Maybe it's overkill for some plants, but it's easier than having to replant later on. Disclaimer: I am no plant expert.

Good morning, Mr. Sun. Oh, and you too, Flowering Cactus.

making flopsy

Flopsy loves to play fetch with paper balls, and she flies up in there like an acrobat. She's shy, and also a lovebug. She's playful, and funny, and a bit of a klutz. Of all her fantastic traits, I love her spot the most.

Flopsy belongs to my boyfriend's Dad and Step Mom ~ Tim and Ellen. Like her sister Veronica, Flopsy is one very loved kitty.

Finding inspiration for Flopsy and Veronica was easy. Tim is an extraordinary photographer ~ his technical skills are so fine, but his eye for a shot makes for a great scene in every photo. I had dozens of feline photos to choose from on Tim's website (we all balance our crazy cat personas by having other interests ~ Tim takes exceptional landscapes photos, and really great portraits).

Flopsy ~ Copyright TWPowell

I love the way people love their pets. Tim and Ellen love their pets. They are the kind of people I want to make pet portraits for.

Flopsy paper pattern. I did not capture the fabric pieces.

I cut the pattern for Flopsy and Veronica at the same time. Veronica, the vogue tiger kitty of the sisterly duo, caught my eye immediately. I wanted to capture her variegated fur, and play with
pointillism to abstract her stripes and spots. I began embroidery for Veronica immediately. After several weeks, Veronica (my muse at the time), had come to life...and I was ready for a break. More on the making of Veronica later.

When I picked up Flopsy's fabric pieces, something struck me.

Flopsy's spot begins at the right tip of the nose, down to the lip and cheek.

Unlike Veronica, Flopsy's smooth and simple coat allowed the pattern pieces to speak to her character sooner. Embroidery details were clearer because they were not buried in other details. I loved the little tufts of fur around the bridge of her nose, and the whispy long hairs above her eyes. Felt Flopsy's eyes were sharp in color, but soft in nature, much like Flopsy's eyes in real life.

Clockwise: Veronica, Flopsy, Duncan, Milo
Center: Yuma

Christmas and Hanukkah, 2012 ~
The group above is from the 2012 holiday season. Of these 5 creatures created in tandem, Flopsy was the last to be started and completed. She instantly became my favorite. It's not often that I am inclined to pet and snuggle with my pet portraits like a crazy person...but Flopsy stole my heart.

One of the reasons I love the group shot is the representation of varied stylistic approaches. Veronica is refined and detailed; deliberate and precise patterned stitches compose her markings. Milo and Duncan were stitched expressively; I made up braided stitches and weaves as I went, creating expressionist stripes. Hugo was fun and impulsive, much like his outdoorsy, survivalist hunter-type personality.

Flopsy was soft and approachable, realistic and playful; just like Flopsy herself.

Flopsy ~ January 2013 Prosodia Lab

Cheers, Flopsy!

studio sunday

Today in the studio ~

'if i fits i sits' friday

No, please! Don't get up. I brought that scarf back from Scotland just for you.