Printing and pals!
A really productive and fun day yesterday!
I got a chance to catch up with the backlog of holiday washing and once the chores were done I managed to grab a cuppa with my good friend Jen- then it was full steam ahead with prepping for last night’s workshop at ‘Zion Bristol’.
I try to plan for every eventuality and to allow flexibility in the activities, so that if inspiration strikes and someone has an idea they wish to pursue, they can. The drawback of this is that I get carried away with the ‘just in case’ resources I end up taking and on arrival at a workshop I often look like I’m moving in! It’s also a bit of a personal challenge to see if I can pre-empt artist ideas, however I’m always impressed and inspired (and kicking myself for not realising I would need a Stanley knife at a chalk pastel session) by the breadth of creativity!
My Zion Bristol workshop is my first and most well established course and it gives me an hour and a half to immerse myself in art but also to spend time with gifted, fun and interesting artist friends. As the sessions have progressed, the confidence of artists has grown to be able to pursue their creative ideas, make critical choices about their artistic plans and also to find moments in life outside of the workshop environment to continue their ideas. As a result, it is genuinely one of the most rewarding and fulfilling things I have ever done!
Last night, we used the idea of symbols, heraldry and even Japanese man-hole covers to design a motif that represented something that was important to each artist. Once we had the design which we were happy with, we carved it into a rubber stamp to be able to print from. I always ‘do’ the art I am going to teach in preparation for courses because this allows me to understand how to guide sessions but the level of inspiration I received from everyone last night means that I am going to be returning to the task to have another go soon.
(I am notorious for getting carried away and forgetting to take photos of work produced, however I have managed to capture some and I will add a gallery of photos today!)
Once we had a design carved we played with different ways of printing to get an effect we were happy with and then we printed a display card in a stand. Everyone who attended got to take home their stamps so that they can make cards, wrapping paper, fabric prints, etc and their print and stand and many artists also wanted the details of where to buy the cutters to have another go because they loved the medium so much.
I’m gifted another day in and out of the hub today and so I will be using it to make further plans and prepping for sessions, including next week’s Art Club at The George, and also starting advertise my three week drawing course at The Congar Cafe in Congresbury which will be running on Friday 4th October, Friday 11th October and Friday 18th October between 10-11.30am (Perfect for the after school drop off or a mindful way to start your weekend).
If you are interested in attending, bookings are made by emailing or phoning me directly and places are limited so don’t delay! Congar Cafe also have an excellent menu on hand to perfectly follow the course- Art, a cuppa and cake, three of my favourites!