Time for more introspection

I spoke about this on my other blog, but felt it would be more appropriate to enlarge on it here.

Yesterday was my alcohol ink workshop, and for some reason, I came away a little dis-satisfied.  I had taken the workshop last spring and had to leave for a couple of hours in the middle of it.  My hope was that I would come away with more on the technical aspects of making landscapes.  Didn't happen.  Thinking about it I realize that the instructor had moved on in her own journey and the class she taught yesterday reflected the direction her work has taken--as it should.  So, maybe the flaw is in me.  This left me thinking about what I had wanted to accomplish by taking yet another workshop.

Alcohol inks are hot right now, but there aren't enough years 
left for me to become really skillful with it. So why do it?

1. to satisfy my curiosity. I've never met a technical challenge that I didn't, at least attempt to, meet.

2. to answer the question of whether this technique might have a place in my work.  No, probably not.

3. Is there any potential for me to make money  at this? No, others are doing it better,and this really is a sort of "flavour of the month".  just a passing fad.  And the supplies are expensive.

So, Only # 1 provides any rationale at all for me to pursue this.  I will play with the supplies I have, but go no further.

And I will appreciate the skill I see in others.

Some progress

The newest piece is coming along.  With the help of the silk colour card I ordered, I was able to find the last bit of thread I needed.  But buying off the internet can be expensive.  For a spool of thread that cost $7.95, I paid $11.40 in postage.  Ar-g-g-g-h!

It is certainly a labour of love.  I underestimated how many times I would have to start and then break thread, with ends at beginning and end of each line of quilting, some less than 1/4" long, that need to be tied off and buried.  My arthritic hands do not like this, and frequent rests are needed.  Two days of hard work resulted in an area about the size of a dinner plate being quilted.  But--it is lo-o-o-o-king go-o-o-o-d!  Since I have no idea whether this might be a show piece ( it just might!), I can't post a picture.  I also think, that until I've finished the quilting, the surface may be too pale for a good picture.

Somehow, over the past week, I've acquired two 50% off coupons from Micheal's.  Tomorrow we head out to use them.  I'm thinking of some Zentangle tiles.