Week 3....

I have been focusing really hard on my drawing skills - or lack thereof... I did a pencil sketch of Darcy on the weekend and really concentrated in class on Wednesday whilst we learnt new ways of manipulating charcoal to gain extra effects... The first is a 'proper' copy then the bottom one is having some fun with effects to produce a more abstract feel.

In Ceramics today I made a Tea Cup with a teaspoon for the handle, a cupcake with a flower on the top & a pea pod with all the peas with different facials! It was a really fun and creative day.

Getting there

Week Two of my course sees my confidence increase ever so slightly. I had Colour Theory and 2D Design on Monday which was quite interesting: Dealing with hue, tone, intensity and texture are more my line - I just pictured every colour in a quilt!!

Then onto today and back to Drawing class. Remaining on the Still Life Fundamentals bored the pants off of most of my classmates, however to me, it is all very helpful & explanatory to someone like me who's never ventured beyond stick figures, daisies & lovehearts. We used a pencil to transfer angles with our eye (very artist-like I thought) to paper to ensure correct composition and proportion. I think my 2nd effort was an improvement, albeit slightly to my previous week! At least everything seemed reasonably similar to the actual objects - ha ha. The working lines are meant to remain to create interest and to show the teacher where my thought processes were at.

Back to Sculptural Ceramics tomorrow, we have to make 5 clay figures inspired from things in the Garden. Pity the whole of Adelaide pretty much resembles a dust bowl - I think there will be plenty of sticks & maybe a gumnut or two - there were remarks made about my desire to have a pair of Kath'n'Kim-esque Gumnut Earrings.... Some people have no taste..... ;0)

I'm an Artist....

Saturday found me crying into my pillow about how my life lacks direction and I'll never get anywhere, combined with self-pitying wails and thrashing amongst pillows....(Slight exaggeration - but only just)

I got onto the interwebs on Sunday with a mission to find 'something' to do. It'd been on my mind for a while and I couldn't seperate my need to study something practical (and money generating) with my desire to see how far I can stretch this crafty part of my personality. I found a pleasing middle ground! I have enrolled in Certificate IV in Visual Arts and Contemporary Craft. It is only 18 months part time and held at TAFE. At the end of this time, the kids will all be in school or full-time Kindy and I can increase my workload. I will also know if I have what it takes to take my fledling love of art and all things crafty and make it work for my future financial security. If I don't cut the mustard, I've spent 18 months learning the fundamentals in Art History, Colour Theory, Sculptural Ceramics, Photography, Glass work and Drawing to enrich my hobbies.

As I've come to find recently - it all just unfolded, in an almost unconscious way. I rang on Monday morning to enquire about the course and next semester chances and got told there were places starting this week! So I dashed up there and 2 hours later I was enrolled for two and a half days a week, the children were found places in day care and OHSC and I was sitting like a stunned mullet with my head spinning!

I had my first class this morning (I missed the first day on Monday which was Colour Theory) and it was drawing technique. Let me start by saying - I CANNOT DRAW..... So the idea of getting busy with charcoal in hand was quite scary and laughable. But I tried and even though the result was exceedingly less than perfect - it felt wonderful. I got to interact with adults that don't know me as Leah the Mum, housekeeper and all round dogsbody and I can be another being, learning and laughing. I can't wait until tomorrow - Sculptural Ceramics!