I’ve started my summer tree.
I was looking through some of the simpler backgrounds I had on hand to jump-start my summer tree. I did this agt our guild social so I was too busy chatting to get you a picture before I started.
I decided to use some more of the pencil roving I have. It is sold as Buffilo roving or Brigs and Little Country Roving. It comes as 5 strands of thin pencil roving wound into a cake. It looks to me like it has been prepared to go through a spinning frame and then be plied into usable yarn. Why else wind 5 strands together? https://briggsandlittle.com/product/country-roving/
This is the brown I am using but not a solid colour so it has more depth. I wound off 2 strands to pop into my felting bag.
When I am not sure of my artistic ability ( most of the time), I tend to go small. If it’s little it is harder to see it’s not very good. However, trying to make a small tree in the distance did not go well. It looks more like some sort of demented scarecrow. You can see it’s quite a nice background though.
So I ripped it off and started a much bigger tree in the foreground. You can see how using the pencil roving makes it easier to make branches as you lay them in for the trunk.
I tidied that up top and bottom and that is as far as I have made it.
I like the way the pencil roving forms the tree but I think I need to add a little lighter ( and maybe darker) colour to help define it more. I am not happy with the blob in the top middle of the trunk. I think I will have to open it into the branches more. I will have to do some searching for pictures of winter trees to see how that part looks. It may not matter once I add the leaves. Isn’t it funny how you know exactly how a tree looks until you come to make one? I also have to work out what I want for the rest of the picture. Maybe some rocks, sheep are always popular, a fence?
The only other thing I did this week was to make some felted balls for my goddaughter, for her cats. Again, too much talking and not enough picture taking. they are small styrofoam balls with a bell pushed into them.
14 thoughts on “I’ve started my summer tree.”
Ann, you’ve chosen an ideal background for your tree & using the pencil roving is ideal particularly as it is not a solid colour.
I agree with your decision to alter the top middle. Maybe create longer downward ‘V’s to accentuate the branches. Perhaps also thin out some of the roving to place some of the branches into the background!
As this is your summer tree, it will be covered in in leaves & I look forward to seeing your next manipulations.
Thanks for the advice Antje. I will give it a try with the deeper Vs. I am thinking on the foliage.
I am sure the cats will have a ball. LOL
Ps – the cat balls will provide hours of fun I’m sure
I agree with Antje, the background is just right for a summer picture and I do like the effect using roving for the tree trunk and branches. It exactly gives the effect of bark.
Your picture of the demented scarecrow in the distance seems to have disappeared completely. At least after several tries to reload the post, I can’t see it, just a large blank space. I wonder if it was a magic scarecrow that objected to being removed and decided to “vanish” everything.
Looking forward to your leaves. A fence leading the eye to the distance would work and you can put your sheep behind it, perhaps looking for the scarecrow!
Ann
Thanks Ann, I am going to try deepening the Vs.
I had two copies of the scarecrow uploaded so I deleted one. when I checked it still showed so I thought I must have deleted the right one but maybe not. It still showed in the edit but was acting odd so I deleted and reloaded so I hope you can see it waving its several arms around now.
A fense and sheep, even better.
Ah yes. The phantom scarecrow has returned.
And I do see what you mean.
Ann
Love the sky and ground colours! The roving is ideal for needle felting and Antje’s suggestion about longer ‘V’s sounds good. Now the fun part – adding the leaves!
Thanks Lyn and Annie. I am gong to try deeper Vs. I am still thinking about the leaves. I want them to be a little 3 denominational. Maybe some scrunched up green silk or cotton with bits of green wool here and there to hold it down. Still thinking……
Delightful start to your summer tree. I have not started on mine yet since I am actually working on fall which gives me a head start on the 4th quarter challenge. I made my leaves out of fabric and put one stitch to hold them down. That gives them a lot of movement.
And yes, your brain tells you that it knows what a tree looks like but it lies to you. I always use a photo source to make sure I am going in the right direction. Not to copy the photo but to see what a tree really looks like.
Thanks Ruth, for all I made the tree bigger it is still a small picture, 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) square. I am not sure stitching leaves will work but may be a few to add movement. I am glad I am not the only one that doesn’t know what a tree really looks like.
I looked at your scarecrow tree, and then saw your 2nd tree, and thought 😳 whoa that’s an amazing 2nd attempt! It looks sooo much better! (That isn’t worded well, 🤪 but what I’m trying to say, is it looks really really impressive.) I like all the blending of colors in your background. That thin pencil roving seems to work well to draw outlines of a tree shape, and slowly build roots and branches. I think your plan to make the tree, dimensional is a perfect idea!
I’m looking forward to see your tree blossom into a grand specimen!
Thanks, the first attempt was pretty bad. LOL. Maybe I should do that all the time. It makes the second attempt look so much better. I will show you the tree with leaves net time its my turn to blog.
the pencil roving is great stuff.
Yesterday, while we were walking down the avenue of beeches leading to our local Manor House, I noticed that a good number of the trees (which I believe are all over 100 years old) look like yours. That is, most of the branches all start at the same level. I don’t think you need to deepen the “Vs” between your branches much, if at all.
It’s really lovely walking along the driveway between the trees – at any time of the year. You get a real feeling of peace from them. Probably deep down, that’s why so many of us put them in our pictures.
Ann
That sounds like a really nice walk. I googled images of beeches and was surprised at how short the trunks are on many of them, especially when they are solitary trees. They would be great climbing trees. With good thick branches to sit and read.