Work in Progress

Skeleton leaves, gessoed and painted.

I came away from my last West Dean course with an absolute mountain of work in progress.  We were given so many new techniques to try that there just wasn't time to explore each one as much as any of us would have liked.  No matter, I've spent the weeks since happily playing with gesso, mod roc and spray plaster.
We stuck snippets of deconstructed fabrics on to board and gessoed over the top, we applied gesso directly on to the board and made marks in it, or embedded things in it, then we sprinkled stuff on the wet surface or let it dry and painted it with acrylics.

Partly sprinkled with sand and ash.

Our tutor had a great way of applying the paint in several washes with lots of sandpapering back after each one.  She also had some interesting warming up exercises, where we would be given an object and asked to sketch its essence. Weird, but fun!
I made a series of samples using crumpled up scrim, hessian with lots of threads pulled out and various plant parts.  Some are still waiting to be painted
Naturally, I soon wanted to get away from the flat surface of the board so I made a start on a vessel, using mod roc.

  I'm going to add some extra, scrunched up, bits to give it more texture and I've left some gaps in the plaster so that I can stitch into it after I take the balloon out.  It'll look good when its finished.  I just need to find a very sturdy needle.

In other news my first assignment for my present OU module was submitted yesterday and my story book went off to the printers today.  The publishers have produced files for Kindles too!

Studying!

This week is all about books.

I've now been allocated a tutor for my OU module so it's time to catch up with the reading.  This is my first level three course and I'm expecting the assignments to be more demanding and therefore more time consuming.  However, many of the set texts hold good memories for me so I'm looking forward to revisiting them.  I chose children's literature because, as some of you know, my own story for kiddies is being published later this year.  The illustrations are being completed right now by a talented Italian lady.

~~~~~~~~~~

My diploma course also has a written component.  It's not going to be all fun weekends, being creative and learning new techniques.  We have to bring our experiences together in a final essay so notes have to be made and other people's work referred to.  On the plus side, our student ID card allows us access to the beautiful old library at the college.  There are worse places to spend a few hours and if the effort of studying becomes too much the bar is just a few steps away.

Work on Wednesday

Course materials for my next OU module arrived today, earlier than I was expecting!  Gardening and stitching have been abandoned while I work through the list of what's been sent and what I have yet to buy.  EA300, Children's Literature, is my first Level 3 module.  As well as the course-books there are a dozen set books, most of which I've read, either in my youth or to my son when he was young.  The few that I didn't know I bought early on to give me time to read them before the module began and I have managed to do that, so I feel fairly well prepared.
Of course, when I enrolled on this module I didn't know that I was going to be given a place on the Visual Arts Diploma, but I've checked the OU assignment dates and I'm hopeful that the two courses will dove-tail fairly well, without too many clashes.  But maybe that's just my natural optimism!

Applique

 I've been playing with some ideas for applique flowers.  The sample above uses some odd scraps from a piece of fabric that I dyed a long time ago.  I found it again recently in a basket of abandoned patchwork bits.  The colours have faded nicely over time and I like them a lot better now. 
These samples will tie in with the field samples I posted in May.  Flowers were the other aspect of our local National Park area that I wanted to explore, so this will be the second half of that project.  A lot of chalk downland flowers are blue, just like its butterflies, so my old piece of fabric is a good starting point.

This sample has a bit more 'bling' about it.  Both fabrics are brightly coloured and shiny, but the effect is toned down a lot by adding a layer of organza to give what I believe is called shadow applique.
Both samples were made using good old bondaweb, I'm afraid my patience no longer extends to doing it the traditional way.

In other news, Open University Creative Writing results are now out.  I'm very pleased with my grade especially considering that I chose not to submit anything for one of the assignments.  My next module, Children's Literature, has a very long reading list so I've started to add the set books to my Kindle so that I can skip through the ones I don't yet know before the course starts in September.

I'm Published Again!

Those kind folks at Ink Pantry Publishing have chosen more of my writing to be featured on their web-site this week. 
Three small pieces taken fom work I did for my OU courses, A215 and A174.  They fit together quite well as they have a through-line, or common theme.
In this case a beach.   I grew up near a beach and always enjoyed it best on wild and windy days.
Take a quick look if you have a minute or two to spare.
If you missed my first story, published on their site last month, you'll find it here. 

I'm Published!

February is a busy month.  There is, of course, the start of the new lunar year.  There is also Pancake Day, Valentine's Day, my son's birthday and his wedding anniversary - sixth this time round.

But this year we have to add the first online publication of one of my short stories by Ink Pantry publishers! 
It's a piece I wrote for an A215 TMA and is what our course text-book describes as fiction based on truth.

Decision time?

I've sent my TMA 02 off, four days early.  While I wait for results I shall give serious consideration to whether it's worth continuing with this module.  Our tutor group is still dismal, thanks in part to the attitude of our tutor.  With the OU there is always this element of pot-luck, which is a disadvantage of their system, because if you don't have a good tutor and your group forum is inactive it is such a huge disincentive.
Maybe I was lucky on A174.  The tutor and group forum were both good and the course itself was very enjoyable.

Extra Time!

What did you do with your leap second last evening?  Did you use it wisely?  You could be forgiven for not even realising that we'd had one.  I didn't see it trending on Twitter, or hear it being discussed on the BBC News.  Mind, the News was an hour late! Held over for the tennis. 
Baghdatis was robbed in my opinion.  The Wimbledon Commitee are going to have to come to some sort of decision on that roof.  Either close it before the start of a match, or leave it open and take what comes.  Suspending play for 30mins while they put it in place is always going to advantage one player over the other.

Y180 now coming to an end.  I've written the EMA, choosing the Art option, I just have to tweek it and send it off.  Plenty of time, it's not due in until the 19th.  Then I can start on some reading in preparation for A215 in September.  I'm really looking forward to that course.