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Friday, November 09, 2007

Drawmo 9: from the vault

This is becoming a bit of a pattern, I see. No time today, even though it's not a real working day on Fridays, just sorting out the AP's various problems and running around doing general errands. We went out to Artwranglers again tonight for the Rachel Jessie-Rae opening and walked home in the rain; now all I want to do is go to bed, so here's a sketch (since there's been a poignant Bumblebee theme this week) I made while I was sitting around the hospital before B's heart operation ten years ago, and then the embroidery I made from the drawing whilst sitting next to his bed in intensive care during the long hours of night waiting to see if he'd pull through.

bumblebee

He was such a grumpy-old-man-looking baby, because he hadn't put on any weight and was always tired. After the operation he fattened up a bit, and I had about 6 months of a jolly fat baby, then he thinned out again and has stayed that way.

embroidery


A little anecdote: his cardiac surgeon, a very experienced and capable surgeon who is one of the top in his field, stopped by to check on his little patient (Bumblebee was three months old). He saw me stitching this piece, and marvelled at my workmanship. I replied that he must be joking -- this from a man who can customise a heart no bigger than a walnut. He smiled at me gently (he has a beatific smile) and said, 'isn't it wonderful that we all have our special talents!' I heart that man, srsly, no joke intended.

I do love drawing in thread, but it's very time-consuming. It's on my list for illness recuperation activities or retirement, along with weaving and jewellery making.

11 comments:

meli said...

that is too beautiful for words.

Anonymous said...

Wow.

genevieve said...

Off to cry quietly in the shower now.
This DrawMo of yours is going to be quite a document, Duck. If that's the right word.

Ampersand Duck said...

Oh no! Don't cry! It's not that sad, is it? He lived to see the day!

Not as sad as my press breaking down, which it has just done. Looks like I'm going to get a weekend after all...

worldpeace and a speedboat said...

that is one of the most delicious things I've seen embroidered :)

JahTeh said...

I embroidered when I sat in the hospital with my son. I didn't realize until it was framed much later that I had stitched forget-me-nots, a willow tree, heartsease and white birds flying, just about every Victorian symbol for illness or death. It still hangs beneath his portrait which is the first thing I see every morning.

Anonymous said...

Oh, oh oh! You don't need to be retired or recuperating from illness to take up weaving - take a trip down to Cooma, go through town and about a km south of the end of town stop at the big craft store on the left and get yourself an Ashford rigid heddle loom from the lovely Gay Epstein. It sits on the top of a table, is warped up in no time (with a willing accomplice) and you'll be weaving straight away. You can do a scarf in a few evenings. Far quicker than stitching or knitting, and with a little bit of practice and imagination you'll be astounded at what you can do...trust me...

Warpgirl

AMCSviatko said...

Thought you'd like to see this if you've not seen it already: http://www.bemboszoo.com/Bembo.swf

:-)

Ampersand Duck said...

Thank you all, I love it too.

SS, that's a wonderful site. Thank you!

Ariel said...

Oh, that's just beautiful. Way to tug on the heartstrings (sorry, no pun intended there).

genevieve said...

Wow, a drive to Cooma AND a loom. That sounds irresistible.

Duck, one does cry at such stories if one had only comparatively breezy experiences in hospital with tiny offspring. Even if my afterstories are less blithe, I'm still susceptible to the very sick baby - I guess it's a 'shit, how would you be' reaction.

And I can't embroider pictures of large offspring in hospital either. They're nowhere near as pretty, heh. (My son is a lovely looking man, but he has a pretty [ahem] solid back veranda.)