Argh-h-h!

The test class for my Fabric Painting class has been arranged for the last two Saturdays in January. This is a little sooner than I would have liked, but gives me a deadline as an incentive to get my act together. They have had to rent a room off-site, and didn't really have much choice. The Box Making test class isn't until the end of March, so there will be a good break between the two. I guess I know what I'll be doing over the next three months.

Creeative blocks

The last couple of weeks have been a revelation. It's true that when faced with a creative block, just get in there and do something. Well, I've sorted through my scrap bin, and two small pieces are emerging. I've hemmed pants and now have 4 new pairs to wear--at least one of which has been waiting since may for hemming. (Of course, now I have to buy a new sweater or jacket to go with the one really good quality pair. The others were purchased with the intent of using them for "slepping around" clothes. ) I have prepared, or have well in hand, every piece I need for commitments over the next 6 months. I actully withdrew from one exhibition. I have hand sewing and/or beading to keep me busy evenings well into January.

So, I guess there is no excuse to not be working on the classes for May.

In an attempt to get over my recent creative block, I decided to try a technique inspired by the article in the Dec/Jan Quilting Arts magazine by Janet A Lasher titled "Needlefelted Foundations to Stitch". Over the past week I've completed two small collages, although I'm still considering putting the samll green seed beads around the edge of the Spiral collage. I'm very pleased at how these have turned out, and I'm even considering exhibiting them as part of a show at a local gallery.

The Spiral one has taken a lot of time and involved a lot of hand work, while the Tree took on a life of its own and was "done" when the thread painting was finished.

For both of them I tried a new (to me) finishing technique that has a wrapped cord zig-zagged around the edge, prior to any excess fabric being cut off. I'm really liking this technique, and for someone like me who has physical difficulty hand sewing binding, it's the clear answer.

Yearly goals

The internet group lists are now talking about the setting of yearly goals for fibre artists. I started this about 2 years ago and have been pleased with the results. The last time I did this I had wanted to start exhibiting locally, as well as continuing to exhibit internationally--and I've been doing that. I had wanted to increase the number and profile of the sales I've participated in and--to a certain extent--I've done that.

But the end result is that I ended up feeling as though all I was doing was production work, and that I was losing my creativity. So maybe this year I need to find a balance. This will mean exploring my creativity, but with an eye to exhibition quality work.

I've been hired to teach in Regina in May. This will be my first time at national teaching and I want to put on the best performance I possibly can, which means spending the next 5 months preparing. Actually I'll have less time than that, as I plan to do a test class for each course.

I also want to take a good look at the courses I do have and maybe revise them to bring them more up to date.

So--three solid goals. It will be interesting to look back and see how I make out with them

Free day

Today is one of the very few days we have this month with no appointments scheduled. I would very much like to be able to spend it in the studio.

In the most recent "Quilting Arts" magazine there is a decription of making collage, using needle-felting , that I would very much like to try. There would be preparation involved as the technique incorporates both painted paper towel and painted cheesecloth. There is a similar but different technique in a recent "Stitch" magazine. This, too, is a felted collage but mounted on painted watercolour paper, and one in which I could use my silk cocoons and carrier rods.

So today, I''ll try to get the "ground work" done, in hopes of actually putting together the pieces over the next few days--between appointments.

Neurons

Here are my Neurons--the piece I entered into the November Fast Friday Fabric Challenge. I used every colour of fabric paint I had, to hand paint the images, then FMQ'd, and added beads. After I had posted it in the challenge site, one of the suggestions was that the close-up worked better than the full size image, and maybe I should consider cropping the piece so that the little neurons actually go ever the edges. I think this might be a good idea, but I'm a little concerned about the over-all size of the piece. As is, it's only 12 1/2" by 11", cutting it down would make it very small, and I had hoped to use it as a sample for the class on fabric painting that I'm teaching next spring.

Baby steps

Getting motivated has been a challenge lately, so this month I'm actually trying to work on the Fast Friday Challenge to get "kick started". Not only will my piece meet the challenge requirements, but I'll be able to use it later for my painting class next May. Hopefully I'll hve pictures later today or early tomorrow. The challenge requires pictures posted before noon Saturday.