Workshop Fun

...and transfer dyeing is great fun, especially when there's a group. This was last week's workshop in full swing, working with transfer dyes and lutradur. A good deal of hilarity masked the fact that everyone was actually working pretty hard. We discovered lots about transfer dyes, and about lutradur, too, which, considering I was squashing elements of two different one day workshops into one two hour session, was possibly not surprising. As you can see, the dog was the only one who was completely disinterested in the whole affair; Lucky is a sweetie, but she doesn't do art....she does, however, enjoy the biscuits at coffee time.

It's interesting to run workshops in a gallery space; when you are looking for examples of good design, or a particular approach to work, there is always something to refer to on the walls. Or you can use them as inspiration, as you can see from one of the images here, which is a drawing of one of my totem dolls on a piece of lutradur. I thought, myself, it looked like Tina Turner in full flow... And if you want to refresh your memory about transfer dyeing, there's a post about it here

We're focussing on words this month... last night, we worked with found text, next week, we're making little translucent paper bowls with individual words trapped within them. It'll be interesting to see how that turns out!

Collage...

was always something I avoided. Recently, though, I've been making quite a few... and this is the most recent, made as a sample for my class on Wednesday at The Gallery, Dereham. It's amazing how much can be done with such a limited palette, and really not many materials. We'll all be making something using those principles tomorrow night.

When I do teach workshops, I rarely ever provide a 'pattern' or a specific set of instructions. Instead, I make suggestions, show what is possible, or at least, what I think is possible at this point; you might find there's yet more you can do with what I'm showing you. And that's the joy of teaching workshops in this way; if you provide six people with the same materials and the same instruction, they can produce six completely different pieces of art. Of course, if you want to copy what I've made, you can...but I'm pretty sure that yours will turn out with a different 'feel' to mine. Why not try it?

Sidetracked...

...again. I went into The Little Green Shed (TLGS to its friends)to redo one of the projects in the Exquisite Evolon book which I'm working on, which was fine. But then I had spare paint. And then I knocked some paint over. And all that resulted in a couple of interesting monoprints, which you'll see some other time, and this interesting piece called 'Mask' (click on the image to see a larger version, I think it's worth it...but then, I would...). It is A4 sized, and ready to stitch...or not... I can't make up my mind. Does textile art have to have stitch? Discuss.

I was delighted to see that Sandy had a good time at TLGS at the weekend...and that was without cake... I hope everyone who came over the weekend had as good a time as I did! See pictures of TLGS, and one of wee me, here

And now, of course, I'll have to tidy up TLGS for the last weekend of Norfolk Open Studios. There may not be cake this time, as I can't stretch a birthday quite that far, but there are always biscuits...

Featured In Despatches...

in this case, a local website, covering the nearby village of North Elmham and information about Open Studios. Although I don't live in the village, I was fortunate to be considered close enough to count as a 'local' artist. Mike and Meg from the website came to visit yesterday. We had a very pleasant cup of coffee and chat in the conservatory, and Advo managed to sit still long enough to get his portrait taken...he looks glorious! Click on the 'Slide Show' (just below my name)to see him and other images of my work and the Little Green Shed.

I've had a bit of a day off, today, drifting around doing housework, albeit rather grudgingly, and sending correspondence, including my application for ISBN numbers for the books I'm intending to publish. Exquisite Evolon is coming on steadily, while Finding Your Creative Focus is with its editor. And I really must remember to send my Little Gem (pictured above) to the coordinator. Wonder who will win it...? New ones are being added regularly; check out the site!

A Quick Glimpse...

...of my conservatory, all dressed up for Open Studios. Actually, I've moved things around a bit since then, but you get the general idea, I'm sure. There are paintings on the walls, too, more photos to follow over the next few days...and of course, the studio is bedecked, too. Robin's comment was 'No wonder we have no room in the house'.

It's been an interesting time, this. I'm waiting to be interviewed by a village website , who want to feature local Open Studios artists. I don't live in that village, but it is close by, and our doctors' surgery is there, so I go quite often. Given that it's my first ever Open Studio, I'm pleased to have had about fifteen visitors in the first couple of days, most of them textile people. So it's no surprise that some of my cloth has sold, and enquiries have been made about workshops. We had wine and nibbles on Sunday, a very civilised way to spend an afternoon, sipping chilled white and talking about art. This Sunday, though, will have a different feel. Probably more wine, I admit, but also cake, as it's my birthday, and I like an excuse to have a BIG cake!

The painting featured here is untitled, though if anyone has a title suggestion, I'm always willing to listen. It's a very peaceful oil, with lots of texture. See what you think. To my surprise, there are more painted and mixed media pieces than there are textiles, but then I'm not showing things that will feature in Exquisite Evolon, which is most of my current output. So there'll be lots of textiles to see next year, and at Festival of Quilts, too.

Small Is Beautiful...

...both in itself, aesthetically, and to potential buyers, who would like to have something, but don't have the cash to buy a large piece. Which is why I make greetings cards, in this case for Open Studios. They are small, hopefully beautiful, and not expensive, either. The thing that is different about my cards is that each one is unique, not a reproduction in sight. The only prints are artists prints, usually a monoprint or possibly a section of a block print. The difference is that each one has been hand made and signed by my own fair (albeit usually paint covered) hands. The cards in the picture are mixed media paintings. I'm really pleased with the way they have turned out, and want to go and buy some more watercolour paper, so I can make some more! I might even make some larger pieces in this way, too.... I think they have a dreamy feel to them.

Exhibitions...

mean all kinds of work that you really don't think of. Open Studios starts next weekend, so this weekend is a flurry of activity. Robin is framing and mounting pictures and textiles. I'm hanging paintings in the conservatory, putting hanging strings on other paintings, to be hung in the shed, and unearthing the spare easel from beneath sundry layers of Other Things (mostly cloth). This is pretty much the pattern for the week to come... looking for things, putting things away, making more things (like my monoprinted greetings cards), and generally Getting Ready. And that's as well as the regular things that happen, like the workshops at the gallery (transfer dyeing is this week's topic), and working on the Exquisite Evolon book. So if I'm quiet this week, you know what I'm about.

One thing it is doing for me is bringing me to the realisation that I've got quite a large inventory. No wonder I've not got room for anything in the house, not to mention the studio. The image is one of the small paintings that will be hanging in the Little Green Shed.. why not come and see it in person?