The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, 2008
crewel embroidery on linen
8″x17″

After discussing Well-behaved Women Seldom Make History with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, I had the urge to create an embroidery about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. I decided to borrow heavily (should I say mashup?) from the William Morris Woodpecker Tapestry and Cranach the Elder’s Adam and Eve.

I visited the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow in 2007 to study the colors in the Woodpecker Tapestry.

Please note: tapestry, a weaving technique, should not be confused with embroidery or needlepoint, also known as canvaswork. There are a lot of needlepoint kits that reproduce William Morris designs, but few people have the skill and patience to learn tapestry weaving. I’m a big fan of tapestry weaving but not a practitioner.

To help you sort out the different textile techniques, this link may come in handy.

What I’ve been doing

Here’s a snippet of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

a crewel embroidery I’ve been working on for over a year now.

Layers of Meaning

Serena Fenton’s Layers of Meaning is a truly fine blog. I’m shamed for not having posted since October here, and beginning to wonder if I should re-think my intentions in blogging, but more on that later.

For interesting content on visual work from a textile sensibility, go visit L o M.

Not so sure about “not counted or crossed.” after-school programs for teens

I’m taking a second look at my “policy” about “no needlepoint here.” Actually, I love needlepoint, and would love to stitch a high-quality William Morris/Henry Dearle kit, like The Forest. I think these kits by Beth Russell are so tempting, but God forbid that I, a trained designer and artist should stoop to buying one, no matter how lovely they are. The whole William Morris and arts and crafts thing is one of my passions, so I have been sneaking around the designs, trying to adapt them in some way to my purposes.

I’m currently seeking to get involved in some kind of after-school program for teens that involves craft, and one of the first things that came to mind was needlepoint. I think this was because I remember how comforting and trouble-freeing it was to do when I was that age. I would come home from school and just sit for an hour or two, completely absorbed but in a mindless, pleasurable way. It was relief from all the confusion and anxiety of that time.

So I’m saying, bring on any craft project, preferably not messy, so it can be done anywhere, that will be fun for teens and parents to do, together. I’d like to open up this space to that.