Sunday, August 12, 2018

Quiet preparations

An art life can take you from dreaming and experimenting to making  to pricing to establishing shops and websites, to buying supplies to tidying up and to teaching.  And a whole bunch more I am sure.

This past week has seen me getting ready to teach for two days in Gympie.

Next Saturday I am teaching Black Beauty; and on Sunday I am teaching Single Sheet binding.

I think it alway helps to refresh and renew your teaching kit, your handouts, and your exercises.

Sure, some things work and you know they will; but its also good to test and try new ideas and of course, each group is different and needs its own tweaks anyhow.

So several hours have been spent in my new aerie revising and re-writing; cutting and preparing and testing and stitching. Making notes and tips and generally collecting all the things I will take with me as well.







I love having books around for people to go through, to look at, to learn from and to be inspired by.


I also spent quite a while cutting mat board down to size for their trial books. And of course got carried away with the grids!


Preparing packs of black paper for Black Beauty to allow folk to test how different papers react.


And checking and double checking my teaching notes!

And my timetables.

Finding the odd little things to play with if folk are racing through their books.


Always heaps to do in advance, but so satisfying knowing I am going in well prepared. Fingers crossed.

6 comments:

  1. I have a big smile on my face because those four books about artists' books are in my studio booshelf as well, side by side ... Eli

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  2. I am always amazed by how many colours of black paper there are and so very few are that deep rich inky black I love!

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    1. I remember you doing so many trials for the book Mo - black is most definitely not just black is it??? And the paper manufacture even seems to change over time which is frustrating just when you think you have found a keeper! Go well.

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  3. Preparing for classes ... such a labor of love and caring. As a retired teacher, I appreciate your modus operandi.

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    1. Thanks Liz - I like to prepare well both for the students and for myself; it seems the best way to honour us all! Go well.

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