A Special Stitch Cartoon for an Artist

This was such a fun assignment. I usually draw directly onto my canvas, but then I received the list of animals (and a parrot) to be included in this commissioned biographical stitch cartoon, plus the artist's favourite outfits and symbols and colours! I just had to make a few drawings first. The artist is Valencia van Zyl. Her amazing style is something that I cannot even imitate (some have tried, but it lacks her special quality). The outcome of this painting was that both she and I were happy with it in the end.

Here are a few more of my stitch cartoons:

The warm colours, the pets, the cosy dark sofas and curtains, all create a sense of welcome and homeliness. The scenes are "stitched" together, stitches  being a symbol of domesticity. The ladies are faceless to emphasize the body language. There is a feeling of patience and anticipation in the waiting figures.

There is a calendar available with 12 of the best stitch cartoons. 

Waiting Woman II,Snow and I and Waiting Woman III

It is night-time and the ladies are waiting up!

In Waiting Woman II a homely note is introduced by a relaxed pose with T-shirt, denim skirt and sandals, and the very warm-coloured interior. Our pet rabbit, Snow, who has featured in my paintings before, posed for the bunnies. The clean white look emphasizes domestic efficiency. In the absence of music, I use the stitches to "spin" it all together.

Did I mention Snow? At 70 years of age I am quite willing to lie down on the floor to see what she would do. Snow and I:

In Waiting Woman III the quiet domestic moment is enhanced by a comfy sofa and cushion, a pet cat, fruit and a vase with roses. I brought in a little humor by repeating the three red apples in framed wall pictures.

The stitch cartoons will continue for a while, but soon I will need to do some loose paintings to relax my hand. There is a calendar available with 12 of the best stitch cartoons.

Waiting Woman 1

As with the rabbit paintings before, I am trying to instill some serious content into my paintings. The idea took me back to works I have done as early as 2001. This time, though, I used the stitch cartoon style and tried to convey a message through them.

At a solo exhibition I had in 2001, a few women gathered to discuss the idea of "waiting women". Yes, women are often waiting for someone to come home, for the school to break up, the cake to come out of the oven, morning to arrive, and so many seconds are ticking by! Dressing plays a role, because we just dress up, put flowers in vases, clean up and open curtains, to repeat the process the next day and the next.

"Waiting Woman 1" stitch cartoon by South African artist Marie Theron.
Acrylic on canvas on board.
USD $40 or  ZAR R300 unframed, plus shipping, 

In this composition of a seated lady, I have used a lot of horizontals and verticals to create some tension and anticipation. She is neatly framed by the night-time window. Someone must arrive soon! Does the bunny's ears show that he is listening too?

Cards and throw pillows of this image are available on RedBubble