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| From Branching Out in 2005 |
nonsense air about her but also she was warm and laughed easily. I remember it was hot that week and I worked hard coming up with a my idea of what a tree art quilt should be. It was intimidating working in a classroom of women all 20-25 yrs older who mostly knew each other and looked like they knew way more about quilting than I did! It seems like forever ago. Rosalie though mentored me through the process of my quilt and it came out great. It finally was dawning on me that I could be an art quilter after all.
I've taken 3 other week long classes with her and every time I've had fun. It's hard to describe but it's like Rosalie forms this safe cocoon around her class so you can create. Shrug.....I dunno....I just know that when I'm in her class, I feel like making something amazing.
Well...that is until this time. Saturday morning - Day 1 of our Zoom Masterclass starts. I'm already with my tea and a notebook, all comfy in my studio listening to Rosalie's opening lecture. Surprisingly the tech all works great. I'm a little amazed that everyone seems to have no problem meeting together from all over the country....with Rosalie in South Africa. Her voice washes over me familiar soothing. I take in all the photos in her interesting presentation. Still it's like I'm just a voyeur in the class and I don't have any inclination to pick up a piece of fabric or scissors or anything. Normally I can't wait to get at it. Not this time...this time I just want to take a nap. I did manage to work couple of hours and finished one little exercise on composition. I then flipped the values and tried it in fabric. I wasn't excited by it but I did it.
Sunday's class started with another great lecture on value and color. More amazing photos to inspire. This time though I felt a bit more excited. Rosalie gave us 10 suggested exercises and I started to work on them. The first one was a basic black and white study. The more I worked on it the more excited I got. And in the way of Nina, that's where things got out of hand and the exercise has taken on a whole life of its own.
Rosalie says she has two extremes in her classes - the Project oriented - those who rush through their week making a project and say "Wow Look what I made!" and the Petters those who spend their week looking at their pretty fabric and sorta dabbling in the exercises. Most people fall some where in between. Of course, I did not. I was a project oriented person - start to finish type of gal. But there was a reason. Not only is it in my personality, but also this was my one week of 52 that I could create and not play mother of a toddler. I could just be Nina for a change and I wanted to have something to show for my week.
BUT this time I am determine to do it differently. Finally that little girl is grown up into an accomplished young woman and doesn't need me hovering. I have time to slow down and really contemplate the relationship of the values and shapes my exercises create. At least that what I told myself. I can see though this exercise is turning into it's own project ....of course it is!
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| My Exercises so far as of Thursday Evening! |
One thing is definite. I am totally in love with complicate improv piecing. It makes me happy to loosely guide where the piece is going but then be surprised by where it is at the end. Plus it's soothing. Saturday I had to force myself to work....here it is Thursday and I'm getting up at 5 so I can get a few hours of sewing in before work.
Yep and there is that..... Spring Rush has hit at work and ladies across the country have decided they will need clothes since they are finally being set free. So I'm working hard selling clothes during the day and trying to fit in sewing in around it. The nice thing is that this time I don't have to do it all in a week, I just need to get back into the creative habit.
I'm so glad I decided to take this class. It's not the same as being at Quilting by the Lake where you can totally immerse yourself in quilting. But it is teaching me how to be creative and work around my home life here.
This week we only have class on Saturday so I'll have Sunday to sew. Hopefully I'll have more to show next week!!
So that's me....
What Have You've Been Up to Creatively?
4 comments:
Nina Marie, I love what you have done so far. Can't wait to see the progress. It's funny talking about different students. I fall into those that never get a project completed. I used to get intimidated by those students who always had a completed project at the end of class. Not any more. Now I'm just happy if I learn one new thing from the class. I've really enjoyed the Zoom platform. I've only taken half day classes so far, but will be taking a full day next month. It's a different way of learning, but I found when I shut my door I was transported the short retreat only leaving to get a snack and use the bathroom. No cats, no husband, no phone calls. Almost as good as being there. I'm able to take from teachers I wouldn't normally have the opportunity to. No travel or packing, or being concerned about food. Anyway, thanks for the post and your weekly linky.
Wow! I love this. That black and white is amazing. So glad you have fun with this.
Such lovely impro blocks. I love what you've done.
Nina Marie your improv piece is just beautiful
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