September Whoosh

September was mega busy, it always is, but this year seemed exceptionally so, at one time 20 appointments booked in.  It gets more complicated for a one car household, having to work out logistics.
So let's take a look at it, in pictures.  Hopefully if you click on they will enlarge for better viewing, click on any highlighted links too.

First week of September attended a Workshop

Art Van Go

Now I think I've done 2 of these in the past, may be 3, but years ago.

Its play and experiment with paint products.

The following week it was time to set up

Rochford Art Trail

The next week with the Trail still on

time to set up and open

The Material Girls

'Goodnight Children Everywhere'

at Rainham Hall

In amongst lots of stewarding, here and there and trying to keep track of

where I'm doing what, and him indoors with his own art display too

So on Sunday 1st October everything was down.

OK so its now October, but the finish to the mad rushing about

on the Monday night, 2nd Oct

Seth Apter Workshop

50 Ways to Leave Your Layer

This was about base layers and how to layer up
so both of these samples may have a way to go,
but it was about process.
I loved this workshop came home buzzing with excitement.

I've had lots of thoughts comparing the two workshops at either end of this busy time., both with backgrounds, different approaches. There were differences in content, product, delivery, lots of similarities and differences.  I may commit my thoughts on these to another blog post.  So watch out.

Now that October is here, The Material Girls have one more Exhibition for the year at Loughton, which is all in hand.  Otherwise breathing space, which is good, time for the ideas to pop and be acted on, instead of a lot of reaction which is how its been of late.

Lifelong Learning

So you go off on a workshop and what do you hope to achieve?  A nice day out, meeting new people amongst it all, perhaps the chance to learn new things, or be reminded of things already tried, or a new slant on them?  And then home, and what next.

Workshop with Wendy Creak at Art Van Go last Friday

Well to start with the big challenge, fitting things back in cupboards, and in my case pulling out a set of wheelie drawers, something clattered behind them when I was sorting what to take.  Can't remember the last time cleaned behind, to my shame, whole eco system going on.

This got me sidetracked as everything moved off the top too.  There I am with this nice large jar of paintbrushes, is actually one of those big sweetie jars you have at Xmas.  I thought it looked pretty arty and like I'm busy and know what I'm doing... but actually its ended up with another eco system in it.  So I tidied and binned the contents (and the jar) and those of a drawer, and have a lot less.  I decided to bin all the very old and extra paintbrushes, sticks, sponges  that I simply don't use.  Quite ironic when Friday I was using sticks, and bits of stone, and bricks and wood as mark making tools. This brought about another profound thought:

is it OK to stay with what you know

is it necessary to constantly have challenges

You may have noticed that Beverley's Bulletins aren't happening any more.  The idea was to make me look back and revisit things, bring them back to the forefront of thinking, in sharing them with you, it would be a reminder to me.  But in practice its not happening, its not fitting in with how I am...  So back to the Friday workshop, what to do with it next... I have a couple of ideas but actually I'm thinking its one of these things to be absorbed and pulled out when needed, right now, its just not right for my ideas.  To be real its because the class takes place on a particular day and obviously that's not necessarily where you are at that point and time in design or project.  I often find the benefit of a workshop is not what you expect at all... its the throwaway comment which strikes a nerve and inspires, its a trigger for a thought process which races ahead.  And its the act of putting everything away, and realising time to stop holding on to physical things, get rid of some of the clutter, find working space, and brain space.

I enjoyed Friday, all sorts of challenges in the day, processes revisited, and ideas which have (oh that dreaded word) 'potential'.  But what I've learned in the broadest sense will filter through and be used, at some point, but its not necessary right now to explore further.

Its been a profound thinking art weekend... as something else came into the thought process, but I'll save that for another time.