Darwin Sampler

As this year is Darwin's 200th birthday and 150 years since the Origin of Species was published, I decided I would celebrate with a sampler.
I have chosen blackwork as not only does it have the stark simplicity of a scientific engraving it has tradionally been used to depict flowers and and other natural objects, plus blackwork is my favourite embroidery medium :D

I am going to use 'The Tree of Life' as a centrepiece and I will surround it with bands make up of stylised versions of the plants and animals he worked with while forming his theory.

I have chosen barnacles, finches, passion flowers, orchids and domestic pigeons to use in the bands and I will be designing all of them myself.