Poppy by Corrine Jones

A visual artist must paint with light. The pigment, whether oil, pastels, watercolor, or thread and fabric must imitate life "in full light", penumbra and shadow. This project is an exquisite exercise in color and chiaroscuro. With beautiful variegated French ribbon, the quest began by determining placement to display depth. Sheer and opaque fabrics were layered to relate to light direction, depicting highlights and shadows in the flower petals. Twisted cord was made with flosses and metallic and couched to give definition to the poppy. Other stitches used were outline, open fly and French knots. Beading was done on a curve. The final result was an individualized portrait of a poppy originally designed by Lynn Payette.