A Little January Colour

Its another dull grey January day here, so let's have some colour.

I have joined in (again) with Wanderlust 2018  for January the theme is Pathways - the first lesson is a personal pathway, road, journey.  I decided I would log the types of home I've lived in, only 7 homes, but 4 different types - this is a more unusual one.

Yes, for a year I lived in a blue caravan

At our last Embroiderers' Guild meeting, we had a guest tutor, Kirsten Yeates, who gave us all a practical afternoon in silk painting. This is what I made, I choose simple shapes.

I added the lines when I got home, with watercolour pencil

because that's the set of pencils to hand!

Having promised myself not to keep buying books, given book case collapse in middle of night, I have been good and made use of the library.  However, reading the blog of Karen Ruane, sigh, and seeing my friend Sue's posts about it, my fingers twitched and I hit the  'buy' button.

Its not a book about lots of different stitches, and if you know embroidery likely you will know all of the ones mentioned.  However, it is about construction of the stitch, and that is what appealed to me, especially as I have made my own grids etc

My promise not to buy more books isn't really working, given I have 2 more on order.  They are not creative books though, so won't go in 'my' bookcases, so don't really count, do they?

Oh.... I might just tell you about the Sketchbook I ordered too, another time!

Studying via E-Courses

Well having almost finished one mini e-course, I've signed up for another.  More on that in a moment.

Tasks from One Pull Wonders

During formal studies it was soon apparent that the information exchange wasn't enough and so I participated in many workshops.
However participation in such these days has dropped to almost nothing.  In the main this is simply due to my own knowledge base extending.  I have been on workshops I don't need, or particularly interest,  purely for the pleasure of the company of fellow students, usually known to me, or because a tutor always has something worthwhile to hear of.  However these days I wouldn't pay for a day out simply to be with good company, I can do that over tea and cake.  But equally I will go on a course knowing absolutely no one, if its something I want to learn.

My second course is also an e-course.  This way of learning, makes it interesting to see how things are moving this way and a new way to participate.... for me.

One Pull Wonders was a US based e-course.  Comprising instructional videos, inc 2 answering questions, the option to join in a private Facebook group, share work, ideas etc.  There's no time limit on the availability of the videos, and I can watch over and over.
My next e-course which has yet to start, follows similar set up, except there will be a Flickr account to share, not Facebook.  UK tutor this time.

So far I like this new venture, but these are purely leisure based courses, there is no criteria to meet, or end assessment. Benefits so far on this new e-study.
~ no time limit on completion
~ don't "have" to do anything, even in a workshop there is always the (self) pressure to do as asked.
~ taking a sideways step is possible, and importantly there is time to explore that, not usually an option in a class, or limited time for it.  Away from the workshop the idea can be forgotten or impulse lost.
~ supplies are all to hand, no more of taking too little or too much, its easy to substitute or find something else which works for the technique.
~ ability to study regardless of location

The downside.
~ lack of face to face contact, both with tutor and fellow students.
~ may be no interaction with tutor at all, in any form

I've certainly found the One Pull Wonders value for money, with 15 lessons over 5 weeks, sometimes with more than one technique, the cost of the workshop has been around what I've paid for a single day with a tutor.There may be another workshop to come with further Gelli Plate techniques.

So the next one.....

I am very drawn to the work of Karen Ruane.  I have no idea why, whether its the white on white of some of the work, the clean lines, or stitching on paper (can guess I'd like that)  I don't pretend to understand the whys and wherefores, but then its her work and it should be that, hers.  So I've seen that she has a little mini course on offer, and I signed up.  Doodle, Gather, Create, starts 8th November, want to join me?

Image - Karen Ruane

Click on the image to take you to details of the e-course