The Hummingbird and the Tiger Lily
I know a lot of people are experiencing different seasons around the world. Here in the U.S. summer has finally arrived. One of the things I always look forward to is seeing the hummingbirds fluttering around my flowers.
While the hummingbirds haven’t been seen yet, I decided to make my own. I started with making a base with Domestic 56 batts, then I added a thin layer of batts and silk hankies as a background felting it slightly and letting it dry.
I decided to make the bird and flower in three dimension. I shaped the bird first by doing some needle felting and putting it in place then covering it with handmade prefelt and silk hankies. I did a little needle felting on the wings to get the detail of the wings. The beak was made like a spike and attached before the final wet felting.
The Tiger Lily petals and stamens and stem were made from prefelt and again the stamens were added right before the final wet felting. I used little resists under the petals and needle felted the stamens to stay in place.
A little plastic wrap around the stamens and beak to keep them from felting to the petals or background.
The felting was slow and I tried not to get it too hard. I wanted a soft look.
I added more needle felting for detail.
Here are several different angles to see the dimension.
Looking at it from above it doesn’t show the dimension. I may have it framed in a shadow box. What do you think?
18 thoughts on “The Hummingbird and the Tiger Lily”
Yes, definitely a box frame! The 3D is amazing. I love the hummingbird’s face and wing delicacy, and the great resist work you did to make the flower.
Thanks Lyn! I love doing things dimensionally since it always presents a challenge on how to accomplish what I imagine.
Great 3D effects
Thanks Pippa!
I like this! Well done on achieving the 3D look, I can’t imagine how long it must have taken you.
Thanks Leonor! This project took me a while only because I could only work on it an hour or so a day. There were also many steps before putting it all together. I just took my time.
At least you’re making things 😀 Very happy about that.
These reminders of nature are always welcome during our long Chicago winters. You might achieve the iridescent look of the hummingbird by hand-embellishing with shiny, silky or glittery embroidery floss. I would probably mount in a shadow box.
Thanks Cathy! Actually I used silk hankies which gave it a shiny look. I’m not very good with embroidery.
Great hummer! We have a bunch that visit my feeder. Always know when spring is really here when the hummingbirds arrive. I think it would look great in a shadow box.
Thanks Ruth! They are fascinating creatures that are fun to watch. It looks as if it will a shadow box for sure.
Lately on of my felting friends told she saw a hummingbird (we say; kolibrie) in her garden, almost impossible in our country, but climat is changing.
I should still give it a try with the sewing machine for embroidery Marilyn, it will give some extra !
I am intending to buy that special feet for embroidery.
I love your painting !
Thanks Jifke! Your friend was very lucky. Perhaps you’ll see one this year, too. We haven’t seen one yet, but I expect we will soon.
Great 3D picture Marilyn. I am glad you have been able to do some felting while you are healing.
Thanks Ann! It’s been good to get back to felting. I just take my time.
Great picture, Marilyn! Is a shadow box a deep one? Wouldn’t that disguise the depth/3D-ness of the picture? Maybe just a chunky frame and a mount without glass, so you can see the stamens and petals from the side?
Thanks Zed! I picked up a shadow frame (hard to find in this size) but it has a glass that doesn’t come out. My husband said he’d break it for me but I haven’t decided if the color is right. When it’s hanging I don’t think it would take away from the depths the picture. We’ll see. I will probably try a couple of frames.