Embroidered Collage

I tend to create my collage compositions by physically arranging and rearranging the components until I find something that works.  This is part of the reason that I find it difficult to consistantly use a sketchbook.

Some time ago I was playing around with some paper I had from when Marissa sold her scraps instead of creating her own collages and realized that some of them fit nicely to form a tree with a branch.  And maybe I could put a bird on that.  For my next project I want to develop the idea more thoroughly on an 8"x10" canvas.

This is my first try, almost the original idea, except I had to keep cutting bird shapes until I realized that maybe a sitting bird would be better than a profiled bird.

I was starting to put the pieces away - since I didn't have time to start working on the background - and realized I had some other pieces in similar colors.  So out they came and I tried again.

My second attempt is more individual and I like it even better.  Putting in the paper elements with the tree echoes interspersed with the building echoes is much more interesting.  I have no idea where the quirky fat bird came from, somehow I just cut it out and started scribbling on it.  I'll be using different paper for that part, of course.  The yellow cardstock was just as a placeholder.  I need the background in place before I can decide on the color, though.