colours and shapes everywhere....

Life has returned to normal. work, teaching classes, renovating the kitchen but my mind just wants to think about line and shape and colour. That's all I see.
like these paint chips I picked up at Rona.
who names colours anyway? Hymn to the sun??! en francais is much better!! -Melodie pour le soleil.

This is a black and white exercise using shapes. We used it to make a larger multi-coloured version. I'm going to replace the bottom right 2 corners- I don't like the shapes. they are more like lines than shapes at this point. It is big enough to use as a picnic blanket or to makes tents. not a masterpiece but someday someone (maybe my grandbabies) will cherish it all the same.

the universe answers

so the satellite radio thing. I understood what the Boss was saying -500 channels and nothin' on! There is a XM satellite station for every genre and sub-genre of music- the names of the stations tell all - Chrome, waterfall, audio vision, Willie's place, beyond Jazz not to mention the sports and traffic stations!!
I got a repetative injury from hitting the scan button for hours on end. what did I settle on? comedy and Oprah.
Is it possible to OD on Oprah & friends - absolutely!!
I learned Gayle talks alot - alot about her kids, Peter Walsh's voice is very annoying and Dr. Oz could get a job on the comedy station when he wants to give up surgery- he was very funny discussing ED.
I did listen to Michael Losier discuss the Law of Attraction. My family has practiced this for years - we just didn't know it had a fancy name! It has become a ritual on the way to a thrift store or garage sale to state what you want to find. red shoes, Lego pieces, garden tools. and lo & behold it is there waiting for you!!
I'm still waiting to find one of Nancy Crow's book at a Value Village!!
so I think it is possible to get what you want before the idea solidifies in your mind & thoughts.
Many art quilters dye their own fabrics. I've done this once and it was a lot of fun but realize it would be a big commitment of supplies and time to do it on a big scale.
At the YHQG annual sewing room sale I met Joyce Seagram and purchased bags, many bags of her hand dyed fabric scraps. I was asked several times at Nancy's if I know Joyce. DO NOW!
so I get to play with a large selection of hand dyed fabric without dying everything in site. I can't dye my hair without getting dye everywhere!! so thanks universe for sending me what I wanted before I knew I wanted it.

a sad sad day

my fabrics have SAD! the assignment was to create fabric with two fabrics you loved - a light and dark. this was my second selection. Nancy came by and asked if I was conservative? possibly, I don't think so. am I?
my fabrics did look sad but after some consideration I blame the 3 feet of snow on the ground last winter. that's when I collected my fabrics. any colour looked good at the time. so my fabrics suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder. anybody on this side of the 49th parallel can relate.






this sad attempt at a dramatic piece didn't even survive the wall.

Nancy Crow

Black & white fabric made to use in our first composition

I feel like I'm hanging by a thread just like my name tag on the wall!

so you want all the dets eh? for starters people in the US notice when you say eh?!
where to start?? man so much to think about & process & adopt.
Well for starters Nancy is nice. She has high expectations of her students. She starts right up front by stating that having to treat us like pre-schoolers by constantly reminding us to turn off irons, sewing machines & lights will make her cranky. She would much rather be teaching & what teacher wouldn't. I admire her frank and forthright manner. I also aspire to being a little cranky in my profession. remember she considers this a college level class. so yes we worked really hard but we learned a ton of stuff in the process.

the trip

I'm not a very good long distance traveller - are we there yet?!
and I'm usually the navigator - I love maps
so It was a long but uneventful day getting here to Columbus Ohio for Nancy Crow's workshop - pinch me, pinch me. (insert BNL's tune here)
I booked a subcompact rental car - last year for QBL I was upgraded to a Sebring convertible this year I got an Impala. I love being upgraded.
left Hamilton my DD in hand at 8 o'clock. crossed into US at 9 at Fort Erie.

way too much math like stuff on this trip. how long does it take to go 183 miles? how many ml to the gallon? oh ya its an American gallon? whose dollar is worth more today? Is gas still more expensive in Canada?
I pay for my gas FIRST? what's up with that - how many litres I mean gallons I mean US gallons at $3.69US does a Impala take when it is almost empty and has 183 miles to go at approximately 118 km/hr??? I decided to start with 40 bucks worth so this exercise proved to me that yes gas is still cheaper in the US cuz I got $1.05 back . US $ now quick what size of coffee can that buy me at Timmy's - don't forget GST & PST.

AUGH!!!!!!!! too much like work. no really I mean MY work. Johnny weighs 63.5 kg and needs azithromycin 50mg/kg on day 1..... etc etc AUGH!!!!!

don't get me started on satellite radio!!!!

the plaids

I'm not a big fan of plaids. I did see some lovely male specimens of our species in kilts at a wedding in Scotland in February. so I can appreciate a good tartan!!

but buying plaids. nope. lots remind me of farmers' shirts which is fine if you are bringing in hay or feeding cattle (been there, done that, got crap on my t-shirt!)
so I did find a few that I can live with. Again it will be interesting to see what we do with them.

the batiks

As well as the all the solids we need some batiks. I've never met a batik I didn't like so most of these I had.

Psst wanna see my stash..............

yup the goods all washed, ironed & folded ready for the big trip. Its like having the biggest box of crayons. dump em out & sort em out. how to sort? by colour? by value? by interesting combos?

an new adventure

the hotel is booked, the rental car reserved, the rotary blade changed, the sewing machine tuned-up. the stash is washed, ironed & folded. well almost.
Yup I'm almost ready for my trip to Nancy Crow's 1 week improvisational workshop. A seven hour drive for a week of almost endless cutting, sewing, learning and playing with colour. We do get to sleep - that's what the hotel is for! and we get fed & watered regularly so we can keep going into the wee hours of the night. (10:30pm actually)
I'm keeping an open mind - not just for class but for the whole experience. I have had conversations with other people who have taken Nancy's classes. I've heard totally opposite views of the experiences. So that's what you will get here- my view of my experience. That's the best we can expect from anyone.
My expectations - what are my expectations - I know I will and plan on working hard - this I'm looking forward to - I'm often finished an exercise in other classes while others are getting the instructions sorted out - I like working independently within a given framework.
I expect to learn a lot - about myself, about working seriously, about learning to put into words the reasons for my choices. To explain my art.
stay tuned...........