Using it all

So I started with the first book of Sandra Meech of this post, in my attempt to live according my chosen word for this year:

USE

Normally I am a spontaneous artist. Whenever I feel the urge to create and am inspired, I just jump into action. Pulling out fabrics, papers or whatever I am needing at that moment I go for it, not much thought, no education in art, just following the vague image that I see 'somewhere in my head'.

Yet I feel that to come to another level with my art, I lack some knowledge, some guidance maybe, and that is why I chose these books that have been sitting on my shelves for some years, USE me, they called at me, we might have to offer what you are looking for right now!

In Design Class 1 you have to make a viewfinder, which then had to be placed and moved over a picture you like. Now the task is to determine all hues and colors that are in the part of the picture you have chosen. With pencils make little squares of the 8-10 colors of your choise and keep working with them on the design sheet (first picture)

I did this first class several times, feeling like a kid in kindergarden, gluing and coloring, weaving the paperstrips, it was fun!

But then came the moment that I had to make choices, and oh, that was difficult...

Now I must tell that I am working towards the annual Art in the Park and really need the few weeks that are left to make some new items. And I felt that I could not combine the design class with this deadline, because inwardly I had some ideas and they interfered with my new knowledge, so tho say. So this time I once again did it my way, nothing more difficult than changing habits ;-)

The combination of strips in the above picture is lovely, it is on my designwall and I am letting it speak to me for some time, I have some ideas but not much time, dilemma!

The word USE kept kreeping into my head however, so I took out one of the pillows I made last year of which I now think: they are so very blue. Seamripper, rotaryknife (see I use my tools!) helped to recycle one of the pillows into this preliminary result. It is not finished yet, but I think I know how to go on. Btw: the grey-blue sashing is a linen that I bought in Holland a long time ago.

All in all I liked this first week and am very eager to continue.

Thanks for reading. I wish all of you a lovely weekend!