Showing posts with label Art Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art Books. Show all posts
Monday, 12 February 2018
I have updated the Workshop poster.
This hopefully easier to read now that I've taken off some of the workshops that have been completed. Some are full, and some just have one or two spaces. Let me know as soon as you can if you'd like to book. We'd love you to join us.
Monday, 12 December 2016
Families Learning Together!
I have loved teaching Art Journalling in schools this term.
The workshops have been part of the programme of Family Learning and have been designed to teach children and their adults and carers to explore, together, art techniques, relaxation strategies and the use of their imaginations to create wonderful journals full of their own ideas and designs.
I really wanted to teach this in a way that will make their journalling a lifelong habit. Hopefully a passion. A place to go for quiet, where they can find peace and solace in a crazy world. This new generation are going to need strategies to help them cope with the pressures that their life will present.
We adults desperately need it too!
The way that children and adults learn together is so valuable because whilst they are sharing the closeness of an enjoyable learning experience they often each approach it in a different way, with their own styles and talents.
They learn a great deal from one another and an appreciation of the others skills. I have seen family members look at one another with fresh eyes! Issues have been discussed, support given and friendships made. All whilst they are making art!
It gives families a new hobby to enjoy together. I feel this is essential in a time when children are often isolated within their own minds, playing or learning on gadgets and technology that only involve one person. Parents too, are so stretched and stressed that finding time to relax as a family is sometimes very difficult. And yet, we are not meant to be solitary beings. We sometimes have to re-learn to be together. And how to share.
The lifelong learning outcomes have been so exciting.
Some of the children have changed their Christmas lists to Santa! They have asked for art materials instead of gadgets and games. Their parents are amazed!
The adults have made their own lists! They have found the relaxation and thrill of journalling is addictive and just don't want to stop!
And they have all enjoyed doing the shared activity so much that they think they will approach the New Year with a new way of spending family time together. I'm so thrilled! I really am!
As an added bonus, this year I have had families in my workshops who last had the opportunity to work with me up to 4 years ago. They are still doing the activities they learned all that time ago and brought their work to show me. This has shown me that this kind of learning lasts. Long may it last.
The workshops have been part of the programme of Family Learning and have been designed to teach children and their adults and carers to explore, together, art techniques, relaxation strategies and the use of their imaginations to create wonderful journals full of their own ideas and designs.
I really wanted to teach this in a way that will make their journalling a lifelong habit. Hopefully a passion. A place to go for quiet, where they can find peace and solace in a crazy world. This new generation are going to need strategies to help them cope with the pressures that their life will present.
We adults desperately need it too!
The way that children and adults learn together is so valuable because whilst they are sharing the closeness of an enjoyable learning experience they often each approach it in a different way, with their own styles and talents.
They learn a great deal from one another and an appreciation of the others skills. I have seen family members look at one another with fresh eyes! Issues have been discussed, support given and friendships made. All whilst they are making art!
It gives families a new hobby to enjoy together. I feel this is essential in a time when children are often isolated within their own minds, playing or learning on gadgets and technology that only involve one person. Parents too, are so stretched and stressed that finding time to relax as a family is sometimes very difficult. And yet, we are not meant to be solitary beings. We sometimes have to re-learn to be together. And how to share.
The lifelong learning outcomes have been so exciting.
Some of the children have changed their Christmas lists to Santa! They have asked for art materials instead of gadgets and games. Their parents are amazed!
The adults have made their own lists! They have found the relaxation and thrill of journalling is addictive and just don't want to stop!
And they have all enjoyed doing the shared activity so much that they think they will approach the New Year with a new way of spending family time together. I'm so thrilled! I really am!
As an added bonus, this year I have had families in my workshops who last had the opportunity to work with me up to 4 years ago. They are still doing the activities they learned all that time ago and brought their work to show me. This has shown me that this kind of learning lasts. Long may it last.
I LOVE my job!!
Saturday, 28 May 2016
Amazing Rust!
Just a quickie look at today's rust. I am so pleased with these. They are so clearly printed that it looks like the rusty washers are still on the surface.
On thick cartridge paper.
On thick cartridge paper. It looks so like the metal.
On cartridge paper with organza and modern cotton lace.
Cartridge paper again.
On a vintage hankie with a lace edging.
On fine linen scrim and vintage lace. So fabulously crunchy!
On cotton in the background.
Wednesday, 4 November 2015
Alice Fox final day
On the last day of the course Alice left us to develop our own ideas from the techniques we had learned. I loved this because it gave us the chance to make the work our own and each person came up with such interesting ideas.
I loved the waxing of papers and fabrics. I'd wanted time to play with encaustic techniques for ages but could never find the time to cover a surface and find an iron to use with wax and to just play with a new technique so this was such a great chance to do just that.
I'd loved the way that the beeswax made the papers translucent and that we could make the layers bind together as one. This technique also enhances the textures and colours of the papers and fabrics and makes them glow!
I used some of my favourite papers and fabrics from the past few days to make a tiny book 3" tall. I love this range of fantastic marks that have been made on these surfaces.
I waxed the pieces by laying them onto parchment paper on the ironing board, sprinkling them with beeswax pellets, placing another piece of parchment paper over the top and smoothing over the layers with the hot iron.
Easy! Why didn't I try this before? Definitely doing it again!
In the photo above, the top piece is eco dyed cartridge paper on the left and rusted embroidered fabric on the right.
In the photo below you can see printed tissue paper which has been bonded with wax to some rust dyed habotai silk.
I loved the waxing of papers and fabrics. I'd wanted time to play with encaustic techniques for ages but could never find the time to cover a surface and find an iron to use with wax and to just play with a new technique so this was such a great chance to do just that.
I'd loved the way that the beeswax made the papers translucent and that we could make the layers bind together as one. This technique also enhances the textures and colours of the papers and fabrics and makes them glow!
I used some of my favourite papers and fabrics from the past few days to make a tiny book 3" tall. I love this range of fantastic marks that have been made on these surfaces.
I waxed the pieces by laying them onto parchment paper on the ironing board, sprinkling them with beeswax pellets, placing another piece of parchment paper over the top and smoothing over the layers with the hot iron.
Easy! Why didn't I try this before? Definitely doing it again!
In the photo above, the top piece is eco dyed cartridge paper on the left and rusted embroidered fabric on the right.
In the photo below you can see printed tissue paper which has been bonded with wax to some rust dyed habotai silk.
I used buttonhole hole stitch to edge some of the pages.
You can see some of the reverse sides and other pages in the photo above. Look at the print that was made by a rusty old nail! and the rusty lace.
I added vintage bone and MOP buttons and a bone fish counter with needle woven details. I also stitched across some of the pages. The stitch really complimented the waxed pages and matched the binding stitches which bind the little book together. I'm going to make more of these little books!
Thank you Alice for such a fab course! I loved every minute.
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Cut Shape Stitch! The book is here!
The book has arrived!
I have the first one in my little hot hands!
It has been so lovely to look through it and see all the projects come together in print.
Maggie, Sam and I hope that we will inspire people to use all kinds of cutting techniques in their art; from good old scissors, hand punches and die cutters to amazing electronic machines.
Everyone who has ordered one from me will get them as soon as I have picked them up.
Anyone else who would like to get their hot hands on a copy can contact me on my email to order them.
paula@paulawatkins.co.uk
They are priced at £16 which isn't too bad for 70 pages, 130 images, step by step instructions and extra online tutorials to come very soon. We hope you enjoy it!
I have the first one in my little hot hands!
It has been so lovely to look through it and see all the projects come together in print.
Maggie, Sam and I hope that we will inspire people to use all kinds of cutting techniques in their art; from good old scissors, hand punches and die cutters to amazing electronic machines.
Everyone who has ordered one from me will get them as soon as I have picked them up.
Anyone else who would like to get their hot hands on a copy can contact me on my email to order them.
paula@paulawatkins.co.uk
They are priced at £16 which isn't too bad for 70 pages, 130 images, step by step instructions and extra online tutorials to come very soon. We hope you enjoy it!
I have listed the book on my website too.
www.paulawatkins.co.uk
It can be bought with Paypal even if you don't have an account. There is a little button 'New Book' at the very top of the homepage.
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Let us not forget!
I had a very interesting day today and it has really made me think. A whole jumble of thoughts about all kinds of things.
I went to a day care centre to teach some crafts to the clients for a day but I didn't really know in advance who I would be teaching. Luckily I took my usual kit and caboodle with me and very luckily I can think on the run.
I thought I'd be teaching mainly ladies who were Carers to do some arty stuff just for fun and to have some creative time for themselves. Instead it was a group of very elderly gentlemen with dementia!
As I looked around the room and was deciding what to do, I was wondering what their abilities would be and what I could do to make them happy.
After discussing it with their wonderful support workers I decided that we would use the Sizzix Bigshot machines and lovely patterned and plain card that I had brought and that we would make little simple memory books.
The Die cutting machines make this so easy because they just had to turn a handle and the beautiful shapes were produced. And all men,of all ages LOVE a gadget!
We folded plain card into little books and stitched the pages together with organza ribbon. The fellas chose their favourite colours for the ribbons and they enjoyed having choices about how their book would look. We then let them cut out the decorations for the front cover of their book and help with adding texture and a name plate. They were all able to write their own names.
I then went to each of them in turn and we talked about their memories. What an amazing experience FOR ME!
Each one of them had lived a pretty spectacular life! As I looked at them, I was thinking that nobody would know what fantastic human beings these are!
One was a nurse in the Army. He joined when he was just 18 and had been trained by them. He wore a blazer with a badge that stood for Honour and Truth and had spent his whole life living that message. He had travelled the world and seen amazing things and tragic things and had stories to tell.
Another was a Doctor of Science and had been an advisor to all of Europe on Government policy. One was a fantastic sportsman and had played Cricket at Lords and sparred at boxing with Henry Cooper! There was a London Cabbie whose mind still probably had the Knowledge! and a Brickie who had worked in Australia and NZ and could still tell me all about the zillions of ways to make bonds with bricks!
We wrote their stories in the little books. They turned from a little craft project into precious pieces of personal history.
My jumble of thoughts were all about how these wonderful men were sitting quietly with their own thoughts and imperfect memories and that as I had first looked at them I had no idea of their stories. Stories that will be lost in the mists of time unless we make time to talk to our precious older generations.
It was a privilege to spend my day there today.
I will be training the care workers soon on making Memory Books and using arty ways to save those memories so that their clients have a personalised book to aid their memories and their families will have a record of the lives of their precious people.
I went to a day care centre to teach some crafts to the clients for a day but I didn't really know in advance who I would be teaching. Luckily I took my usual kit and caboodle with me and very luckily I can think on the run.
I thought I'd be teaching mainly ladies who were Carers to do some arty stuff just for fun and to have some creative time for themselves. Instead it was a group of very elderly gentlemen with dementia!
As I looked around the room and was deciding what to do, I was wondering what their abilities would be and what I could do to make them happy.
After discussing it with their wonderful support workers I decided that we would use the Sizzix Bigshot machines and lovely patterned and plain card that I had brought and that we would make little simple memory books.
The Die cutting machines make this so easy because they just had to turn a handle and the beautiful shapes were produced. And all men,of all ages LOVE a gadget!
We folded plain card into little books and stitched the pages together with organza ribbon. The fellas chose their favourite colours for the ribbons and they enjoyed having choices about how their book would look. We then let them cut out the decorations for the front cover of their book and help with adding texture and a name plate. They were all able to write their own names.
I then went to each of them in turn and we talked about their memories. What an amazing experience FOR ME!
Each one of them had lived a pretty spectacular life! As I looked at them, I was thinking that nobody would know what fantastic human beings these are!
One was a nurse in the Army. He joined when he was just 18 and had been trained by them. He wore a blazer with a badge that stood for Honour and Truth and had spent his whole life living that message. He had travelled the world and seen amazing things and tragic things and had stories to tell.
Another was a Doctor of Science and had been an advisor to all of Europe on Government policy. One was a fantastic sportsman and had played Cricket at Lords and sparred at boxing with Henry Cooper! There was a London Cabbie whose mind still probably had the Knowledge! and a Brickie who had worked in Australia and NZ and could still tell me all about the zillions of ways to make bonds with bricks!
We wrote their stories in the little books. They turned from a little craft project into precious pieces of personal history.
My jumble of thoughts were all about how these wonderful men were sitting quietly with their own thoughts and imperfect memories and that as I had first looked at them I had no idea of their stories. Stories that will be lost in the mists of time unless we make time to talk to our precious older generations.
It was a privilege to spend my day there today.
I will be training the care workers soon on making Memory Books and using arty ways to save those memories so that their clients have a personalised book to aid their memories and their families will have a record of the lives of their precious people.
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