HUDSON VALLEY SEED LIBRARY COMMISSION: THE STINGING NETTLE
Amy Frazer
WHO DOESN'T LOVE SEED PACKETS? I MEAN EVERYONE RIGHT?! WELL, IF YOU LOVE THEM AS MUCH AS I DO, THEN CHECK OUT THE HUDSON VALLEY SEED COMPANY!
Photo Credit: Kayley Hoddick
EARLIER THIS YEAR IN MAY, I WAS COMMISSIONED TO DESIGN ONE OF THE HUDSON VALLEY SEED LIBRARY'S 12 ART PACKS FOR 2017. OVER 400 ARTISTS FROM 48 STATES AND 7 COUNTRIES SUBMITTED PROPOSALS, AND AFTER DOING A FEW ROUNDS OF SKETCHES, IT WAS DECIDED THAT I WOULD DESIGN THE STINGING NETTLE PACK! KEN FROM HUDSON VALLEY THOUGHT THAT MY EMBROIDERY TECHNIQUES WERE PERFECT TO TELL THE STINGING NETTLE STORY! THEY WERE SO EASY TO WORK WITH TO GET INPUT, APPROVALS AND PAYMENT. THANK YOU KEN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS AMAZING PROGRAM!!
NOT ONLY WILL MY EMBROIDERY BE USED ON THE SEED PACKET, BUT IT WILL ALSO BE FEATURED IN THE SEED LIBRARY 2017 CALENDAR, AVAILABLE AS FINE ART PRINTS AND THE ORIGINAL ARTWORK WILL BE IN A TRAVELING ART SHOW AROUND THE COUNTRY! I'LL POST THE LOCATIONS AND DATES WHEN THEY ARE AVAILABLE.
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST COMPLEX EMBROIDERY I'VE DONE TO DATE. IT WAS REALLY SPECIAL TO WORK ON BECAUSE IT BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD WHEN I HAD A SMALL GARDEN PLOT IN OUR BACKYARD, I GREW GREEN PEPPERS, CARROTS, GREEN ONIONS AND SOME OTHER THINGS I DON'T REMEMBER!
BELOW ARE SOME OF MY SKETCHES AND IMAGES OF MY PROCESS.
I BASED THE CONCEPT OF THE STORY OF THE 6 SWANS. "THE SIX SWANS" IS A GERMAN FAIRY TALE COLLECTED BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM.
PLOT: SIX BROTHERS FROM A KING'S FIRST MARRIAGE HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO SWANS BY THEIR STEPMOTHER. THE BROTHERS CAN ONLY TAKE THEIR HUMAN FORMS FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES EVERY EVENING. TO FREE THEM, THEIR SISTER NAMED ELSA MUST MAKE SIX SHIRTS OUT OF NETTLES AND CAN'T MAKE A SOUND FOR SEVEN YEARS OR THE SPELL WILL NEVER BE BROKEN.
THE KING OF ANOTHER COUNTRY FINDS HER DOING THIS, IS TAKEN BY HER BEAUTY, AND MARRIES HER. WHEN ELSA, NOW QUEEN, HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO THEIR FIRST CHILD, THE KING'S OWN WICKED MOTHER TAKES AWAY THE CHILD AND ACCUSES THE QUEEN OF DESTROYING IT. UNABLE TO DEFEND HERSELF, THE QUEEN IS SENTENCED TO BE BURNED AT THE STAKE AS A WITCH.
ON THE DAY OF HER EXECUTION, SHE HAS ALL BUT FINISHED MAKING THE SHIRTS FOR HER BROTHERS. ONLY THE LAST SHIRT MISSES A LEFT ARM. WHEN SHE IS BROUGHT TO THE STAKE, SHE TAKES THE SHIRTS WITH HER AND WHEN SHE IS ABOUT TO BE BURNED,THE SEVEN YEARS EXPIER AND SIX SWANS COME FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. SHE THROWS THE SHIRTS OVER HER BROTHERS AND THEY REGAIN THEIR HUMAN FORM. THE QUEEN, NOW FREE TO SPEAK, CAN DEFEND HERSELF AGAINST THE ACCUSATIONS. HER MOTHER-IN-LAW RETURNS THE BABY SHE STOLE, AND IN ANGER SHE FALLS INTO A FIT AND DIES.
ICONS IN MY SKETCHES ARE PULLED FROM THE STORY CONCEPT:
- NETTLES REPRESENT THE CHOSEN VARIETY. ALSO THE SISTER, ELSE MADE THE SHIRTS FOR HER BROTHERS OUT OF NETTLES.
- THE NEEDLE REPRESENTS THE SEWING THE SISTER HAD TO DO TO MAKE THE SHIRTS.
- 6 SWANS REPRESENT THE 6 BROTHERS. THE CROWNS REPRESENT THEM AS PRINCES