Trying my hand at neurographic drawing was a fun exercise. I really got going with fluid lines and using my brush markers was like painting without the possible mess. I did some small ones in a sketch book that weren’t too detailed but then I thought I’d try a bigger one and maybe make it the extension of my last years embroidered word design, abstract.

I liked it for a couple of days but decided it didn’t really work so I got my scissors out and started cutting out lines and weaving them together and soon I had a great nest. One of the shapes I randomly cut was a bird shape and the image began to take shape. I had to add a wee eye and eye stripe . There was a tiny triangle left over that made a great throat marking . She sat in the nest quite well but needed some context. Out came the handmade paper I have always thought looked like tree trunks, and a soft yellow magazine page made a sunny background, some squiggly painted lines on a chunk of cotton resembled branches to me and the nest was anchored in a tree on a sunny day. I had just received some lovely silk yarn in greens and browns that made shadows and vines and I declared this variation on a theme finished.