This piece is an adaptation of a photograph, published years ago, of Arcadia National Monument, on the Maine coast.

When translating to another medium, it always helps to work from photos, so the light source, shadows, and highlights are constant. Joan tried to adapt a favorite photo to create a needlepoint piece in which the rocks, sea, and sense of atmosphere were created by manipulating color to create forms and depth. The threads (overdyed silk and floss) were kept simple and the stitches limited to tent, long and short, French knots, Ultrasuede appliqué, and rice. This allowed the color to become the most important element.

The piece is only 5" x 5" on Congress cloth, and was a fun experiment which stitched up on a week's vacation. The rocks in the very front are appliquéd in Ultrasuede, then painted with acrylics to match the stitches surrounding them.