Greetings from Portland Oregon

Being without a sewing cabinet for most of the past two weeks provided a good excuse to try smaller size thread painting projects.  Limiting size to 4x6 or 5x7 would provide several benefits.  If I like the finished product, it would take less of our limited wall space, or could be used for a greeting card. It would also allow me to audition a subject for a larger canvas.  I completed five small paintings, four of which became greeting cards.  The last one may be simply a lesson learned.

St. John's Bridge 

St. John’s Bridge spans the Willamette River in North Portland.  Construction started on the bridge just prior to the stock market crash in 1929 and was completed in 1931.  There are many interesting facts and history surrounding the St. John’s Bridge.  It recently re-gained national notoriety when Greenpeace protesters rappelled down the bridge in an effort to block an icebreaker employed by the Shell Oil Company.

The original postcard of the U.S.S. Portland passing under St. John’s Bridge, Portland, Oregon was published around 1931 to 1945, and can be seen on Wikimedia Commons.  I chose to remove the ship and the printed title.  My 4x6 thread painting does not do justice to the beautifully painted postcard.  The background buildings and the lines of the bridge would be better served in a larger size. 

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Happy Birthday, MacKenzie!  

A birthday card for our beautiful granddaughter was the most challenging work in the past two weeks.  I used a photo taken by our daughter-in-law.  It took four attempts before finding the right balance of thread, color and density, but I am happy with the final product.  In the early attempts of this photo, I tried stitching MacKenzie's image, however, I found it too difficult to define her face with stitches.  I finally used Photoshop to remove all color except MacKenzie.  A few stitched lines were used to highlight her image.  Many, many stitches used to define her horse, Sunny, and the background.     

Benson Bubbler

Benson Bubbler Thread Painting 

finished size 8-1/2" x 11-1/2"

Portland has a distinctive style that comes from embracing its own history. The bridges, streets, buildings and the works of art that grace the city are an eclectic mix of old and new.  The Benson Bubblers are part of the rich history decorating our city.