Thursday, December 1, 2011

It's about time

I have been having so much fun with my online classes this fall!  My "text and image" class with Jane Davies has just concluded -- and Jane is such a wonderful teacher that I immediately signed up for her next class on self-portraits, which starts on January 2.  I think there is still room so by all means, check out the class description and join if you are interested.  

The final assignment in my current class was to create a series of small pieces that suggest a story or common theme, but leave enough room for the viewer's own interpretation.  I learned a lot through this exercise:  On the one hand, I prefer to work on a larger scale because there is greater scope for playing with color and texture, which is what I love the most.  On the other hand, I really enjoyed the smaller ATC format because it was easier to find useful text at this size from old books or newspapers.  I discovered that I like working on several pieces simultaneously because there is always something to do next, even when you are waiting for other things to dry.  Finally, it reinforced my sense that ideas need time to percolate before being expressed.  I had been mulling over this assignment for days, so when I had time to work on it, everything just flowed.