Sea Struggle

My last drawing lesson was again concentrating on our own projects - I revisited painting a sea scene in acrylics, trying to analyse pattern and make it more abstracted. It was a piece of old Durham quilt that I'd gessoed - it was a coaser weave cotton than I'd used before and after 10 minutes I was wishing I was working on canvases like everyone else! While the effect that the quilting has on the paint application is intriguing, don't have much control over the paint but have to work with it. A bit of a battle.

I perservered however and had some useful comments(as ever) from Sandra on how to improve it - she suggested using pen and ink to add detail in places, something I will continue with once its fully dry. She'd also suggested using oil pastel as a resist - unfortunately it didn't work on this surface but got me thinking how I could use this method. Hot wax, like batik?Oil based paintsticks('Shiva')?

At the end of the session we had a longer review than usual looking at everyones work. It's been a great course, building up confidence and expertise in use of materials and techniques regardless of starting level , and always been interesting to how varied peoples work is and what can be achieved in just a 2 hour lesson. Lots of fun too.

Sandra will not be teaching next term, concentrating on her own work( hope to get an invite to her show) As I would only have been able to make half of the classes due to training courses, work conference and a painting holiday, I'll leave it registering again until September. I'll miss it!

Country Living Fair was, as I feared, a juxtaposition of the excellent with the Naff and Cutesy not to mention Tawdry. I bought a scarf from Tammy Child and dichroic earrings from Sara Withers, both makers I've bought from at better craft fairs in Richmond and Chiswick. Sara had been demonstrating , not only miked up but with camera attached to her hands!

What didn't disapoint was Margaret's exhibition, her structure looked fantastic and was getting a lot of well deserved interest.