Art

I just realized that I never posted about my trip to Hot Springs! Last week I got to go to Spa City (Hot Springs) for two days of Professional Development. Sounds exciting huh? Normally Professional Development would be boring information that isn't much use to me...but in this case I got to pick what I wanted to go to. hehe I had two days of ART! The first day was Fiber Arts, the second was Mixed Media Journals. I was in Heaven!

Day 1: Fiber Arts

I have been working with yarn for who knows how long, and I love it. I was hoping to take something from this workshop that would help me branch out a little, or at least go "beyond the box". (We don't think outside the box anymore, thats why people considered us weird. Now we think BEYOND the box...) We were given six different types of cloth, three black and three white, and were encouraged to play with a multitude of supplies and see what happens to each one. To be honest...most of us failed to follow directions. (I think it comes from us all being artists AND teachers...we want to go our own way.) Mostly we ended up just jumping on the creating bandwagon. I didn't necessarily follow directions, but I didn't just straight into creating. I played with the fabrics and a few different processes on them. I found out I liked some fabrics more than others... We were expected to play with the fabrics and processes until lunch and then present our findings. Then we were to create something using all six pieces of fabric. Sounds easy, right? Not so much. We had six pieces of fabric cut into a 12"x12" square...or if you are me, you added a little on the end of some because you didn't want to be wasteful by cutting off a piece that would not be used because it was too small. (Like we throw anything away!?!?!) Needless to say, I was not finished when the class was over (3:30). Terri, our instructor at the Art Church (more on that later) was gracious enough to let anyone who wanted to, to stay until we were through. At 4:45 I finally finished. OH MY WORD, that was a challenge. I don't usually create the way I did that day. I'm very methodical and want everything to be just perfect, and usually I like my art to have a subject, to be recognizable. I don't usually create abstract art...hence the challenge...that and using all of the fabric whether I liked it or not! So there's what I ended up with. I wish you could see some of the better details. I still can't decide if I like it or not. Like I said...I don't usually create this way.

Day 2: Mixed Media Journals

Day two was really great as well. I have really become interested in Art Journals over the last year or so. (Not that I've done much art in that direction...or at all really.) We made concertina (accordion fold) journals. (pictured left)

We also were put in groups to experiment with different types of photo transfers. Each group experimented with photos we printed from our own facebook accounts and then presented to the whole group the process and what happened and how you can use it. I thought it was really great. Instead of everyone sitting there following the teacher through each process, she showed us where to start in our small group and then WE (the students) presented to the entire class. Now I'm just trying to figure out how I can use that in my own classroom. Really more like what projects would be best for that type of teaching.

After we got done with that we worked on a hardback journal. You can't tell from this picture, but I glued my gel transfer picture of myself to the front of my sketchbook. (Oh and I'm using the terms journal and sketchbook to mean the same things. haha) The picture is transparent so you can actually see part of the pattern background through it. It was fun, but I should have done more to the background so that you could see the picture better. But now I know a really cool process for transferring pictures! haha I decided to just play on the back of the journal, so it doesn't look anything like the front. I decided that was quite appropriate because I am so random myself. :)

Terri (the instructor) challenged us again. Journal/Sketch daily. You wouldn't let someone who doesn't read teach reading, how can you teach art if you aren't creating?

Oh, that one got me. It has been something that has been on my mind for a while now. I create art randomly. I really need to be in the habit of creating daily. Terri challenged us to sketch/draw/journal for 15 minutes a day...every day. I have to be honest...I've been stumped. I did start on my first page. That is always the hardest so I just did something to take up the space. The first mark is always the hardest!

So I will be carrying my sketchbook around with me everywhere I go with pens, markers, pencils and a glue stick. Ready to create whenever I have the time or inclination!