Artiskok - wall piece - Gerda Bengtsson (GB)

Artiskok - wall piece - Gerda Bengtsson (GB)

A large botanical motif

"Artiskok" (Artichoke) - wall piece - Gerda Bengtsson (GB) is a classic cross stitch embroidery with a tall artichoke plant as its motif. The design shows an upright stem with a purple flower at the top, green buds and large lobed leaves. The motif has a calm, botanical expression. At the same time, the height of the plant and the many leaf shapes give the embroidery a striking effect.

The artichoke stands as a complete plant on the pale linen. At the top, the open flower is shown in purple shades. Beneath the flower sits a green flower head with small reddish details. Further down the stem, several buds and leaves add variation to the motif. At the bottom, the large leaves spread out to the sides. This creates weight in the composition and gives the wall piece a beautiful balance.

The shapes and colours of the artichoke

The embroidery contains many green shades. The dark green stitches give depth to the leaves. The lighter tones create life in the serrated leaf edges and the fine stems. Together, the colours make the plant feel lively, yet still subdued. The purple flower acts as a clear focal point at the top of the motif.

The leaves are an important part of the design. They are long, lobed and gently curved. Several of them point out from the centre like a natural rosette. Others follow the vertical stem and lead the eye up towards the flower. The small buds add extra detail without making the motif feel heavy. This is an embroidery with many details to discover.

The size of 43 × 70 cm makes the wall piece suitable as a larger botanical picture. It can hang on its own and fill a narrow wall space. It can also be used together with other plant embroideries to create a botanical picture wall.

Haandarbejdets Fremme and materials

The motif is embroidered with Danish Flower Thread on Haandarbejdets Fremme (HF) Linen 10B. This combination gives a classic embroidery with a calm and natural surface. The linen provides structure and a pale background. Danish Flower Thread gives the green and purple colours a soft, lively expression.

Haandarbejdets Fremme is known for embroideries of high quality and a clear design language. Many of their botanical motifs have a special sense of calm. This also applies to this wall piece, where the plant is allowed to stand clear and simple. Gerda Bengtsson has designed the motif with a strong sense of balance, rhythm and botanical detail.

Artichoke is especially suitable for the experienced stitcher. The motif is large and has many fine colour changes. The lobed leaves require attention, but also give a very beautiful result. The finished wall piece suits a home where nature motifs, green shades and classic embroidery are welcome features on the wall.