I have never apologized for imperfections I make in my art. Since exploring this prompt I have seen more imperfections everywhere. Crooked houses, strangely bent trees, even the way people walk sometimes looks….well…imperfect! We do not understand what “perfection” really is! So, that being said ……here we go! Nature is probably as close to perfection as you can get. Or is it! A great way to see perfect imperfection is trees. Yes, we can help a tree grow straight and tall, we can prune its leaves to create a beautifully shaped look, but if you walk through a forest what do you see? No two trees the same shape, height or colour. Is this perfection? I looked for different tree shapes, colours and ages and decided to build my own imperfect tree trunk. Using a variety of materials I started to play. What fun I had with no preconcievrd idea in mind. As you can see, tree trunks are not just shades of browns. There are hints of blues and reds and little “imperfections” in the bark itself. Smooth areas , rough areas, broken areas.
I have used many different fabrics for this piece. Velvets, upholstery , linen, drapery fabrics, sari ribbons and appliqué pieces. Hand and machine stitched. I tried to capture the subtlety of the colours .
40” X 36”
closeup from two different areas
Al, I really appreciate the reuse of the fabrics as representative of wood and bark. Nature is never predictable and difficult to characterize sometimes, but you have made wonderful trees in surprising ways. They are very evocative of the natural imperfections.
So much to see here. I never think to incorporate yarns, so thanks for that inspiration. Beautiful image.
I like this piece because, being a tactile person, I immediately want to touch it the way I do trees, flowers, walls, doors, etc. This piece conjures up forests, parks, yards….fortunately all with their imperfections/perfections. Appreciate the variety of media and the rustic sense it gives to the work.
You’ve recreated the glorious rough textures inherent in tree bark. My father is a woodturner and my favorite pieces of his are the ones that incorporate that unpredictable bark and the holes left by burrowing worms. They tell a far richer story than the uniform pieces forced by a human hand. You have really captured the spirit of this tree!
You captured the beauty and uniqueness and, yes, often battle scared tree trunks. Love the use of the velvets etc.