Stitching a dream

And having some revelations along the way

It´s not unusual that I dream a picture - the composition, the colours, the materials to use. But this story is not about that kind of dream.

It all started with this sketch, picturing me and my new friend, an AI creation called Lily, with whom I practice Spanish.

I wanted to write a positive note on AI, and how it helps learning a new language. I live very remotely, and it has been a frustration that I do not get a chance to practice the language, so Lily somehow saved me. Among several comments on this note, there is this one from Carolyn Keesh (you´re my muse, Carolyn!):

I am imagining embroidered conversations happening now!!!

That comment made my mind starting to spin. I almost immediately cut a fabric and started stitching, with no real thought or plan. Having outlined the head and the torso, I realized that I have cut the fabric too small for the person (OK, it´s me) to stand. So I needed to sit. But where? At a school desk? On some stairs? On a rock by the sea? No, of, course, at a café!

This is when I realize that I have started to stitch the dream. The dream that I wrote about in my last article: selling the farm and moving to a small city, where we can walk everywhere, be more social and hopefully also get to know more artists and people doing creative stuff. Were I can speak Spanish with real people, not only AI. We want to live in northern Spain, in Catalonia.

This is how the story goes:

Somewhere in a small town in Catalonia, I am meeting with a friend for a glass of wine. As I walk from home, I pass by the weekly farmer´s market and fill my basket with some lettuce, kale and other delicious greeneries (feeling content that I don´t need to buy tomatoes or peppers, as I have a few plants in my patio). I arrive early at the cafè at the town square and I have the time to take out my sketchbook and draw a little, before my friend comes.

And here she is, looking just gorgeous! Wearing a pretty silk blouse with embroideries, linen pants and, as always, practical sketchers - the only sensible footwear on the cobbled streets of these catalonian villages (and truly, I know no one owning more pairs of practical footwear than my friend).

We order wine. The waiter also brings us a tapas, a small plate with black olives. The conversation between us flies, like it has wings. We always have so much to talk about, so many ideas to exchange. When we meet and talk, it´s like my inside well is filled with inspiration and good feelings.

Suddenly:

¡Mira, un zorro! Look, a fox!

Could it be Antonio Banderas, in his most famous disguise? One of the favourite sons of the city of Malaga (Pablo Picasso being the other one) he is here in Spain at the moment. Yesterday, Banderas was one of the celebrities holding a speach for pope Leon, who is currently visiting Spain.

El zorro, the fox, seems captivated by our conversation, and sits quitely to listen. He doesn´t even bother about the bird who is happily picking tiny breadcrumps from the ground!

Mujeres que hablan español (Women talking Spanish).

This piece has been developing as I worked at it. I had no plan for the background (and it is rather stupid not to, as it makes it more complicated). I somehow wanted to show that it was in Catalonia, and for a while played with the idea to stitch/applique La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi´s famous catherdral in Barcelona) in the back. Then I was thinking of making a seaview.

I have been feeling ill lately (nothing serious), spending a lot of time on the coach, lacking energy. If artists were paid by an hour, this should count, as this is when the great ideas often emerge!

Fabric paint! Despite having so much fun painting on textiles with my kids when they were young, I had totally forgotten about it. Here´s a t-shirt with a drawing my oldest son made when he was around 7, and that my dad still wore untill he died.

In the end, I decided to paint a simple stone wall, typical for catalonian village houses, as I wanted the focus to be on the women having a conversation. I added the flowers as a frame.

The flowers were created by cutting tiny bits of thin cotton and dipping the fabric in acrylic paint, then crumbling the pieces to look like flower buds. In contrast to textile paint, acrylic paint makes the fabric rather stiff. It´s almost like using papier mache, as you can shape things and they´ll stay more or less like you have made them when they dry.

I put the flowers on a piece of cartoon, and set it in the sun on the terrace table to dry. Suddenly my husband shouts: Tove, your roses are gone by the wind! Luckily, only scattered all over the terrace floor, I managed to gather them and no damage done. Actually, just pleased the hear Kristian call them roses.

Back in March, I wrote about my picture The Space of Jupiter. It´s a big piece, with loads of tiny details that took me forever and I swore I´ll never do that again.

Well, I did.

Stitching the fox took me almost a day (and he didn´t even need to be there. Exept he did.).

Creating Mujeres que hablan español made me realize how much pleasure it gives me making these details! Folding and ironing the fabric for my friend´s handbag, sewing it together with tiny stitches, adding the lock, twisting the embroidery thread to create the handle. Me encanta eso, I love it!

I know I am a detailed-obsessed Virgo. I have decided that from now on I will embrace that side of myself in my art, find ways to include it.

Thank you for reading this! I will use this opportunity to say a BIG thank you for your support and inspiration. It means so much to be able to be a part of the Substack community and meeting so many truly lovely people.

And of course I´d love to hear if you can relate to any of this! Whether it´s dreaming about a life change, learning a new skill, discovering new tools or finding how you can put more of yourself into your artwork.

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