In out, up down, repeat

 I am enjoying a lull in what has been a hectic few weeks. Last week disappeared in a blur of sampling and preparing for three consecutive days of workshops. First one was my lifelong learning group on Friday  for a day of making books from just one piece of paper utitlising different folding and cutting formats. We employed mark making techniques and collage etc and some of their results were amazing......but I forgot to take the camera....

... then I spent the weekend with the Pembrokeshire Embroiderers Guild making books focussing on stitch techniques they were familiar with for decorative spine work. We worked with buttonhole stitch, running stitch and cross stitch as well as versions of chain stitch culminating in coptic stitch bound books. They worked hard and I did take the camera this time but forgot to actually take any pictures! Seems like I've forgotten how to do this blogging malarkey. They produced some beautiful books, going home with the knowledge now to mix and match the stitches and design their own spine patterns. That was my plan anyway, so I'm hoping to see the responses in a future workshop.

One more bookmaking workshop to go before the end of term and perhaps I might call it a day then and concentrate on my own stuff for next year.

 I'm making a note now though to remember to take the camera so that I can show their output and do their work justice!

What month is it?

 Hey, where did October go? I was here but I was obsessed. Working on a sketchbook project with my Shropshire art group took me back to spoons.... an obsession I had a few years ago. I thought I had got it out of my system but it has got worse as I'm now addicted to kitchen utensils of all sorts. My husband says I have developed utensilitis and that there's no known cure. I just have to go with the flow until something else takes my mind off them. I care not as I have had a fabulous month, drawing, painting and even making spoons out of wire etc and there are worse things to be addicted to.

 I've enjoyed painting with watercolour but it always comes back to the drawing for me.This has been the year that I vowed to improve my drawing and I've been doing lots of practice in my sketchbook. Handles are my current thing as you can see above. Yesterday I decided to try the grid technique for upscaling. This drawing below is from a photo I found  of some utensils and I am itching to carry on today with it.

 In between the drawing I have been teaching a few workshops and preparing for others as well as doing a couple of one day ceramics courses on offer at the local art college. I spent one day handbuilding pots and they have been fired and the next day was a raku tile firing day.
 I loved the serendipity of this process and we were a large group with a lot of tiles. Of course one had to get broken didn't it? Typically, it was mine but that's life. It wasn't about what I brought home for me. It was all about the process and I enjoyed it.

Along with three others from these two one day courses I'm now doing a five week evening course on ceramic surface decoration. I signed up to all of them for fun but I am now keen to see how I could incorporate print onto ceramic. I want to try screenprinting but they don't do it at the college. However, they've said if I can find a way to do it, they will fire it for me.... so I'm off on another tiny obsession which might cure the utensilitis, but it will never stop me drawing. Why did I wait so long to find out - or accept and believe - that I can draw? For me to show my drawings online is a big thing so if you're inclined to comment, be kind!