In other crafty news, I was reading this http://queenofdestiny.com/?p=106 post and although I don’t totally agree with everything she says, it’s great food for thought. I admit I’m not a “true” artist. No, I’m not putting myself down or indulging in false modesty or anything like that. I’ve said this before – I just make things. For reasons such as I want to try this, I need that, I enjoy doing something else or whatever. I don’t care if what I make pleases anyone, except the recipient if it’s for someone besides myself. Sounds selfish? Sure. But I’m not trying to impress anyone or sell anything or even express my innermost feelings. I don’t make statements with my work. It just is what it is.
This whole “art” issue is making me nervous about the online course that the members of my Spectrum study group signed up for on Studio Journals. I just hope I’m not in over my head on this one. I mean already I’m intimidated. The list of tools and materials needed is quite formidable but luckily I already had most of it kicking around. It could get quite expensive to buy each individual item just for this class! Or maybe we could share amongst us. I’m sure we won’t use a whole jar of gesso or a whole can of fixative each. My biggest fear is that a lot of my art skills that I had back when I went to art school in my late teens have atrophied badly. I can’t draw well anymore and I’m not really interested in regaining that skill. I’m not great at painting either, unless that means wiping on great swaths of dye colours. Mostly what I’d like to get out of this is to work on my personal design sense using shapes, colours and patterns and then bring that to my textile work somehow. I’m encouraged by this statement in the class description:
“Please note that this course is about keeping a studio journal as a work horse not about creating an art journal that is a finished object in its own right. The emphasis is very much on using a studio journal as part of a design process to produce something in fiber.”I’m also hoping I’ve got the discipline to do the work necessary. I’m really bad at finishing things if I’m not enjoying the process or I don’t have a firm deadline. We’ll have to strongly encourage each other in the group. That might help some.
OK I still haven’t written up the latest pair of socks so I’m putting it off yet again. Besides they aren’t anything new or exciting even though the yarn was quite nice knitted up. Later.
4 comments:
I took this course the last time it was offered, and though i am not primarily a "fiber artist" I loved it. It makse such great sense for any person who struggles with how to keep track of all the things that you want to ponder or even just the quick shots for the day. And I am continuously amazed that when I write down something simple that it comes up later and plays into something else I am thinking about doing. ENJOY!!
I'm curious about how you apply the "journal". As a person who 'steals' bits & pieces from here & there & throws them together, this sounds like something useful! I always said I wasn't a 'creator' I was a 'copier'. I copied this bit & that bit . . . .
Ah but, jordiw, you can paint! Real pictures even. But thank you for the class endorsement. I'm beginning to feel a bit less nervous.
And Sharon, I'll definitely let you know how useful the journal becomes for me. Like you, I tend to piece things together too.
Don't be nervous! Isn't that kind of what you create so expertly right here--a studio journal? You could think of it as a class for making a hands-on, easier-for-reference, decorative, carpal-tunnel sparing blog.
I think we still have the unopened gallon can of gesso we bought two moves ago. Darn it; it was so much cheaper that way!
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