these next close-up photos are the 4 panels of my folding screen. Shin, SaImDang (1504-1551) painted them during the Joseon dynasty. she became one of the most famous female artists in the 5,000 year-long Korean history. her work is known for the stylised subjects of insects, birds & other animals, plants & fruit which is referred to as chochungdo. She is also honoured & respected as her son, Yulgŏk, became a famous Confucian scholar. & she is considered to be the mother of modern Koreans. she lived with her parents at her family's Kangwon Province ancestral home, Ojukeon. her life consisted of caring for her husband & aging parents, raising seven children & artistic use of her education of Chinese classics, poetry, calligraphy & embroidery invested in by her father.the photos are presented in the order i embroidered them. each colour used, is embroidered with 3 shades for a more natural feel. the thread is mostly hand-dyed silk with the stitches in long & short lengths. there are some french knots used for the eyes of the butterflies, strawberry seeds, & for other decorative embellishments.
i really enjoy this type of embroidery. especially in the quiet with the window ajar, listening to the breeze & the sound of silk on silk. left only with the form of the line & the beautifully coloured thread.
