Why do I keep taking classes that I don't really need? Maybe it's to avoid working on something I should be working on. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment. Maybe I'm just crazy. I vote for the last one.
My drawing perspective class was canceled this week. So I decided to take an online class on creating texture with fiber. I don't know what I was expecting, but I should have just worked on Boston and skipped the class. Don't get me wrong the class was good and the instructor was excellent as always, but I just didn't need this detour. I did learn some things, but I always learn something from every class I take.
Here's all I got done on day 1. It has fabric bits, thread waste, plastic bits, plastic mesh, and silk ribbon. I did enjoy free motion quilting this since I did not care about it so I was not tense like I usually am during FMQ. My thought about the piece is “Mehhhh.”
On day 2 we had to pick an artist that we love and one of their art works. Of course I pick Van Gogh and Starry Night. Now I've done quilts based on that before and they are a lot better than what I did yesterday. My heart was not in it yesterday for sure. I wish I could go back and pick an artist that did buildings or shapes or at least a different Van Gogh. That would have made me happier. If only I could go back in time.
Here's the piece from yesterday. Not sure I will finish it with all the hand stitching that is still required for a so so piece. So many things wrong here. Again I say “Mehhhhh.”
I’ve used this painting for inspiration before for challenges. Both of these are much better. For one thing I was thrilled to be doing them especially the Starry Scary Night one.
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| Tribute to Van Gogh |
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| Starry Scary Night |
Just thinking of myself, I'd say you signed up for this class to procrastinate on finishing the Boston quilt. I always amaze myself at what I come up with to do instead of working on what I should be working on if I come to a part I'm not keen on doing. Things that had gone down on the list because I also didn't really want to work on them, but now they seemed so much better to focus on. I know how challenges at least can be so alluring and one way I stopped myself from taking part when I really should have been working on my own projects was to stop belonging to groups that presented challenges! And now, I'm just too tired with too big of a backlog to be enticed by challenges I see online or in magazines. I do admit that the many challenges I HAVE participated in were all learning experiences and often even gave me opportunity to incorporate an Idea knocking around that I hadn't per sued yet. And I suspect you are still in that stage of your journey. As for taking too many classes? Has never been an issue for me, as I've always approached most everything as something I could figure out on my own, and if I couldn't, THEN I'd find a class. Of course, since I've started dabbling in art not textile where I really do have so much to learn, it's been hard to pass up free classes, but even those I'm realizing I have to cut back on and just do the work.
ReplyDeleteI particularly have no interest in producing mediocre and meaningless work like people are doing with small slow stitch pieces. Yes, I get why people are doing them and why the practice might be valuable but really, do I need a stack of 3 or 4 inch abstract pieces of stitched fabric? Guess that's the practical side of me coming out. If I need to slow stitch, I can always pull out a wall quilt that is waiting for me to finish the hand quilting on. With few exceptions, making samples and practicing have never been my thing.
I kind of soured on classes when I got tired hauling stuff; so Zoom removed that. I am pretty selective on what classes I sign up for: I have to want to learn a technique; I have to feel that there is something in the class I don't already know. I have so far resisted fabric dying classes, having decided I don't need to add another step to what is already a multistep process. Perhaps if I were younger and had more space I'd be more tempted.
ReplyDeleteI think you are perhaps avoiding Boston. Maybe give yourself permission to set it aside until you want to finish it. I'm pretty selective in the classes I take. It has to be a technique I don't know and WANT to learn or an artist I respect and just want to be in one of their classes. It is hard, I believe, to make something in a class that is great. You're learning a technique and are on the spot to create NOW. In your class piece I like the suggestion of a town at the bottom. I see The Snarky Quilter was also in this class and was also meh about it. Sending more by email.
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