First Light – Nuno Landscape

First Light – Nuno Landscape

This is the nuno background I showed a while back. Surprise, surprise, I created another landscape!

I started by adding some yellow orange sheer fabric to indicate the sky and then started auditioning trees cut from dyed silk organza. The trees went through many forms as I went along auditioning colors, sizes and placement.

I began making the foreground trees darker and the background trees lighter. It felt like the sun was coming from behind the hill. So I continued to emphasize that light perspective as I went along.

I was getting closer, adding more shadows and light.

Then I decided that the ground felt too light in the foreground. So I auditioned some sheer scarves in this area. These are light nylon scarves, you can see the edge hasn’t been removed here. Once the edge is cut off, the scarf can be easily frayed to blend into the background. Then on to stitching everything down.

Here’s the piece after I finished hand stitching the applique pieces in place for the trees. I also use a very small seed stitch to stitch down the sheer scarf pieces.

I decided I need something more in the foreground. The darker marks in the middle foreground reminded me of these plants. I think these are a type of wild orchid. This is a photo I took on one of my morning walks in the woods.

Here are the foreground plants. They are a combination of torn black tulle, couched yarns and pistol stitch in perle cottons.

I felt that the bottom of the orchids was a missing something so I added in some grasses which were couched down.

Here is the final piece on it’s fabric background. I have decided to call it First Light. The coloring in this last photo is the closest to the original. Now all it needs is framing.

 

 

11 thoughts on “First Light – Nuno Landscape

  1. I really like the way you have turned this piece of fabric into a believable landscape. I just couldn’t imagine how you were going to be able to do that when I saw the fabric originally. My only (v small) reservation is that the trees appear to be resting on rather than growing out of the ground, and the lack of their shadows. But then it’s not really meant to be a representative picture is it – more the feeling it gives, which is calm and peaceful (to me at any rate).
    Looking forward to seeing what you do with those other pieces of fabric.
    Ann

    1. Thanks Ann, I can see a landscape in just about anything 😉 I am trying to push out of realistic/representative and be a bit more abstract. Calm and peaceful is a good feeling!

  2. Can definitely see ‘first light’ coming in from the upper right and lightening those trunks – lovely choice of colour for those! Putting the foreground in the shadow works well – one’s eye is instantly taken by the plants then travels easily through the trees to the distance.
    Great piece for your new sales venue.

    1. Thanks! It was fun finding the colors that worked with this piece. Hopefully, I can get a few more pieces completed and then get some framing done quickly.

    1. Thanks! I always like to give trial runs and do sampling. I take loads of photos as I go so I can see the progression and go back to something I might have liked at the beginning.

  3. That’s lovely, Ruth. Really interesting perspective and a great use of light, shade & colour. I don’t think I would have thought of those purple notes at all but they add such a lot of interest. Great.

    1. Thanks Lindsay, I wasn’t really thinking purple either but when I tried out that color, it seemed to work. I have added some shadows to ground the trees as Ann B. suggested. I will have to show the piece again now! 😉

  4. Ruth, as you said you can create a landscape from anything 🤪
    I love how the light is softly backlighting the trees until the foreground is in shadow. The use of the purple is great, just adding an extra dimension.

    I only have one different thought….from your first auditions of the trees I saw it as ‘last’ light with the beautiful stillness of a colourful setting sun.

    1. Thanks Antje! Yes, I can create a landscape from anything 😉

      I have recently added shadows to this piece so I will have to show it again. And I agree that it could be first or last light.

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