When I was approached recently to create a Ginkgo branch artwork for a commission it was like all of my Christmases and come at once. It’s no secret that I love stitching Ginkgo leaves, they are arguably one of my most iconic design motifs. I love any project that calls for a visit to Ginkgo town.
In this post, I discuss my design process and how I developed this particular Ginkgo branch design. I hope it will be interesting for those who are curious about that specific aspect of my practice.
But first, here is a little video I put together showing the creation of this piece from start to finish so you know where we are headed.
Developing the Ginkgo Branch design
Most of my artwork designs start with extensive research into the organism I plan to depict in my embroidery. In this case, my research had a head start because I have been working with ginkgo plants for years and already have a good understanding of them. I am especially familiar with their leaves as I depict them often in my work. I could likely draw Ginkgo leaves in my sleep by now I am so familiar with their shape and proportions.
A sketchbook page summarising my early research on the Ginkgo biloba plant
A full ginkgo branch is relatively new territory for me and required a bit of extra research to get more familiar with the plant and prepared to develop an accurate design for this project.
I have a little Ginkgo tree growing in a pot that is a great resource for study when developing ginkgo design. Well, it’s really more of a ginkgo bush than a tree, it’s less than a meter tall. My little ginkgo is especially good for studying new growth and delicate branches, which were the aspects of the plant I wanted to focus on for this piece. Through the study of my ginkgo, I hoped to understand the habits of the plant, like how its leaves connect to the various branches and how many leaves sprout from a single point on a branch.
Studying my little plant helped me to identify the typical growth patterns of new branches. I observed that there is great variance in how the leaves connect to the branches. Leaves sprout out seemingly randomly from the stems, in various shapes and sizes. On the same small piece of a branch I studied, I found single leaves sprouting out as well as clusters of up to five leaves sprouting from a single point. The leaves overlap and stack, curving around each other to maximize exposure to sunlight. It’s like a dance of tiny fans.
Once I had a good understanding of the habit of the plant and was confident I could create my own version of a ginkgo branch I set about planning my design. This collector who commissioned the piece wanted a long, thin branch of leaves that cascaded down the frame. She also had a particular spot in mind on her wall so I had set dimensions to fit my design within.
When developing a design I always like to start with loads of thumbnail sketches to get the basic design balanced before I tackle the full-scale sketch. Once I had settled on the basic design for my branch I tackled the full-scale sketch and was sure to include the various leaf connection patterns I had observed in my own plant. Thankfully the final design came together easily and quickly, largely thanks to my prior research.
When sketching the design I was also taking into account how I would construct the sculpture in my embroidery techniques. With all those overlapping leaves this piece was a bit of a technical challenge, but that is also what I love about it. This piece nudged me into new territory, in both my study of the Ginkgo plant and the technicalities of my embroidery techniques. It was a challenge that I loved from start to finish and I am delighted with the results.
I think there will be more Ginkgo branches in my future. Once just doesn’t seem like enough.
Ginkgo Branch (2022) by Meredith Woolnough, embroidery thread and pins on paper
Customary daggy photo of Meredith proudly holding her newest artwork - Ginkgo Branch (2022)
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