Making time for myself

It's been a busy, busy few months as we've been working on our new Creative Sketchbooks course. I'm not complaining but it is a huge amount of work! We've had students woking on Module 1 for a few weeks now and Module 2 opens tomorrow. This module has another 12 videos in it. Yes, you heard right, 12 videos. Have you any idea how long it takes to prepare, record and edit that many? Good job Laura is such a technical wizard! It's very stimulating to create a new course and we find it always feeds our own work in some unpredictable way. Still, it's important to find time for ourselves amidst all the madness. Since our recent visit to Wolverhampton Art Gallery I've wanted to do something with this amazing vase as inspiration.

You don't have any sense of scale in the photo but the vase is almost as tall as I am. I read that the decorative motifs are all different Chinese symbols for longevity. The Oriental influence will be perfect for the work I need to produce for next year's exhibition at the Needle Museum. I hope you're impressed that I'm already working on this - it's certainly not typical - I'm usually the one finishing work at the very last minute!

The symbols really lend themselves to printmaking so I've carved a plastic eraser with a scalpel to make a small print block.

Of course I had to try it out immediately! The small size makes it ideal for repeat pattern making so I've applied bronze metallic acrylic paint with a roller and made lots of prints that butt up against each other.

This wonderful crow was also in the same gallery. They may have a reputation for being symbolic of misfortune but I am surrounded by corvids of all kinds every day and I love them.

I've been having a go at combining my favourite crows with the printed Chinese symbol on canvases I'm painting. I have to confess I'm liking how they are looking but it's too dark to take pictures tonight so I'll show you next time.

Bye for now - Linda