got the blues!

Im having the biggest wobble of my recent practice! I really dont like my work! I dont like color and Im using colors! I love the process of natural dyeing but I dont like working with color in my art, I like browns and blacks ! maybe Im not doing enough drawing.
I know people really like the birds and thats lovely and I wish I could really enjoy them too.
I made a piece yesterday and when Id finished I just hated it!! it was a scale I havent worked on for a while and that may have added to the shock but mainly I think its the colors, I must try and work with colors I like rather than try to be accurate to the colors of the birds! I need to get some brown birds started!
Hopefully Im just having a little wobble and will wake up very soon and think 'what was I worried about they are all lovely!'
(I am thinking of a series of dead bird pictures as a cathartic exercise to say good bye to the birds!)
here is the work I made yesterday.

I really prefer the back of the canvas!

sorry to whinge! Im sure Ill be brighter in a few days, not really sure whats the matter. Art wise I need to play more and stop worrying, I do put to much presure on myself to complete works and have finished ideas in the few hours a week I get to do stuff!!!.
Im thinking of having a give away again very soon maybe that will be a good start to cheer me up!
xx jenny

summer evening visitors

A few more bird embroideries popped out of me today, a new chaffinch, a Long tailed tit and a house sparrow.
I thought that was it for today but early evening my hubby, son & I went for a walk by the canal, there was loads of swallow action over the water, diving and swooping really fast to catch the bugs! Joe said they looked like X-Wing fighters! so we all made starwars noises as a soundtrack to their busy hunting! When I got home I was inspired to add some summer visitors to me garden bird collection.
I have been very short of the color brown for these bird embroideries so the other day I prepared and dyed a few pieces of silk with tea & coffee! the tea on Iron mordanted silk produced the dark gray you can see on the flying swallow above! and on alum mordented silk tea made a kind of weak tea color!! the coffee on iron mordented silk made green!such fun
Its half term here this coming week so not sure how much time Ill have in studio but have ever intention to carry on making a few more garden birds!
have a wonderful weekend everyone xxx

a couple of new birds

Just a quicky this morning to share a couple of new birds that arrived from my sewing machine today.

more dyeing successesss

Ive had some really good dye results this week, I used Cow Parsley & Gourse flowers from local hedgerows, Avocado skins Ive been saving for a while and more eucalyptus leaves because I really love the greys I got last time.

 

These photos are a bit bright (taken in the amazing sunshine today!) they dont show how rich the colors are (I will take more pics as i use the samples)

I was hoping to get some dark brown and grey silks for the bird collages Ive been creating and I have,

both avocado  and eucalyptus have given really lovely dark grey browny greens! perfect of the birds!

My favorite part of all the dyeing Ive done so far is that it all ( except the madder roots) has come from my garden or the local areas hedges ! it feels very special.