interwoven pt 2

^detail from a beautiful raffia woven platter by Ruth^

I have a confession.

I know I can talk. But Ive been avoiding the computer in the last week or so. I even went away again so I could have a think and digest it all. But Ive been struggling to explain, articulate, and edit down all my stories and images from my week teaching at Sturt College for you. A week that was inspiring, exhausting, colourful, creative, nerve-wracking, emotional, and exhausting (yep I meant to say it twice!) A week that pushed me in ways I havent been pushed before - especially in regards to teaching. 

In the last few years I have been teaching workshops to adults and children in weaving and drawing. But those workshops were completed in two hour sessions, and not spread out over an entire week. So to say I was nervous would be an understatement. I was nervous but also concerned about my body and how it would cope over the week - especially since 2013 was not my best year - health wise. 

But is always the case - it was me who learnt and gained so much from the experience. 

So much so that I hoped my class felt like they received enough from me!! 

But it all began and ended with the people I shared the experience with. And in that regard I was truly blessed with an amazing class - full of like-minded, soulful people - all eager to share themselves, and their creative energies with new people. 

It truly was the best way to kick off  2014.

And I felt privileged to have been asked to participate. 

Here are a few images from the week and I hope they give you an indication of how colourful and fun it truly was.... 

^beautiful ink stained hands of Amy^

^mix media action drawing - made in a drawing session first thing on Monday morning ...
so we could warm up and have some fun.
And get our creative minds switched on!^

^then we moved onto basic weaving and textile fabrication^

^Mel getting busy with one of her amazing coiled forms^

^These are Mel's finished pieces - hanging on the wall for the end of week exhibition.
They were so amazing, so colourful.... and Mel was a first time weaver...^

^Shona, Mel and Eileen - the back seat bandits!^

^Shona created some beautiful textile prints and woven forms.
And again - she was a first time weaver^

^busy hands of Amy^

^soft texture weaving vs hard texture weaving.
Both created by the lovely Ruth.
And both celebrating colour^

^a sculptural piece by Fiona - who is an amazing mixed media crafts-person.
This mix media piece was made using raffia and her own textile print^

^The creations of lovely Margaret - who is such an inspiring photographer and weaver in Sydney.
This course was to push her in new directions- especially in regards to mix media and colour.
I think she's a natural in both!^

^many little things that were created at the beginning of the week -
 and used as test pieces for honing
technique and media fabrication... oh... and colour^

^Brilliant Ruth and her amazing sculptural form that took many hours and lots of experimentation.
By the end of the week it was the biggest woven form in the class...^

^Detail of Ruth's experimentation with a woven flat dish^

^the lovely Mel - busy weaving on her lap - surrounded by colour^