Woman with Mantilla Revisited

Unfortunately I have only worked 2 hours on the portrait embroidery in the last week.  However I did get a lot done.  It is very difficult to feel motivated making hundreds of French knots.  So here she is after 18 hours with the left half of her mantilla almost finished.

 

Woman with Mantilla after 18 hours.

 

 

I must admit that I would really like to drop this project into a baggy and file her away in a drawer.  But I am enjoying the way it is colored and all the blending.  This project has given me a small glimpse into Picasso's style and starting to develop one of my own.  Every time I look at the copy of his "Woman with Mantilla" I see more colors.  It has been a very interesting project and it may also answer the question "How many French knots does it take to drive an embroider insane!

Embroidered Woman with Matilla Update

 

Embroidery after 16 hours.

 

The last few days I have been working on several projects including the Picasso portrait.  I've gotten to the easier parts after filling in the lady's hair and comb.  The mantilla is filled in with French knots but they are spaced farther apart and use both one and two wraps.  I am not trying to make this identical to the original but still trying to follow the color changes.  How fast the french knots work up has been a real surprise.  Every time I look at my work I'm astonished that I can stitch without lines but if I had tried to draw the portrait with a pencil I would have failed.  So all the doodling with a needle has paid off.  Still I don't know if I will work much longer on this piece it was just a self challenge to embroider a face.  There are several stumpwork pieces that I want to work on more than this portrait.  Still it has been fun.

  

 

Portrait of woman with mantilla.