Art, art, art...

I feel like Winnie the Pooh, "Think, think, think, ... art, art, art..."

I've got my RSN cert course coming up in April. On day 1 I'll be taught a variety of goldwork techniques and then I will have to design a piece that highlights those and finish it in 10 days. I'm very concerned about my ability to design something appropriate.

I spent yesterday learning Jacobean embroidery from Lucy Barter (Forever Studios, San Francisco). She showed us color scans of apprentice pieces from the RSN and it hit me that I am a very linear thinker and I think the design aspect is going to be hard. I don't want to be adequate, I want to be good. And "good" is going to depend on a starting with a good design. I want to play with texture and light and since the piece will be an ocean of gold on a solid ground, I've got 2 colors: metallic and whatever the ground is.

So I've got piles of books all over my floor as I try to jump start my muse into playing "design something that will Snap! using surface couching, pearl purl, and bright chek." I have no idea if I will be allowed to work color elements (like Or Nue) into this or not. It looks like the muse is still sleeping off the sleeves. So far I've been doodling plants, Renaissance garden plans, and fruit. I'm thinking and doodling and thinking. Miss E snatches my sketch pad when I put it down and uses it as a guide to sketch something into HER note book. It's really cute and now she has pretty good copy-cat versions of all my sketches. I had a stray thought that if it's possible, I need to get her into an art class.

Think, think, think... I may start taking my camera everywhere with me and photograph stuff. Maybe I can find an interesting window frame with plants... there's a ton of cute gardens and run down houses near work. Maybe a window with a security grill that's framed in climbing ivy... kind of tells a story about life that appeals to my sense of humor 'live safe vs living free' ...

think think think... art art art...

Win Moment

I did my long run Saturday morning before the 9-year old b-day party.

8 miles! Whoo-hoo. The cool part? (besides finishing...) Catching up with the blond lady in the pink shirt who was going a smidge faster than me, striking up conversation, and finding out she's a Weight Watchers group leader. We chatted for the last 1.5 miles AND I had to go faster than my comfort zone.

I win!

(And those endorfins were appreciated because after filling my house with kids and adults, the Play-Well people who were supposed to arrive with a planned Lego activity never showed up. We broke out the nerf swords and board games... but still... a lot of sad kids including 2 birthday boys)