Old dog new tricks....

In youth we learn, in age we understand. Isn't that what they say?

Well I couldn't agree more.

In age we understand, we have patience, we are open to new things and we possibly retain information a bit better then in our youth. So yes, we start to understand some of the lessons from our youth but I think we are also the perfect level of maturity to be fabulous students.

As an adult I have taken on many classes, from night schools and Tafe to community centers and local art and craft groups.
When I first started to venture out into adult learning, I was quite anxious. The whole meeting new people and placing myself in a vulnerable position was scary. The notion of being a fumbling idiot that knew nothing of the subject before me beyond a little literature and admiring the end result, was always a nerve racking venture. But as time goes on, you realize your all in the same boat.

Just people hungry to learn, eager to expand their world and fascinated by the way things work.

Thank god, there are beautiful patient people out there who become teachers. Who take the skills they have learned and share them with us all.

My most recent class, was part two in screen printing down at Olive Grove.
I did part one ages ago, which is basic stencil cutting and learning the technique, the paints, the possibilities... it has most definitely captured my heart and kept me occupied the last 6 months.
But it was time to move on. So today was all about Photo exposure.
Learning how to permanently expose your own screens. From the equipment required, to the many methods of creating a film to expose.
Wow ... is all I can say.
It always blows my mind a little to suddenly understand all the complexities of a new subject. you just wanna run out and buy all the bitses so you can create to your hearts content.
In my eyes, that is a successful class.
You walk away inspired and so full of ideas.

So the best part of all, after going through all the processes, is having something you can bring home.
Of course I had some screens to bring home with my own artwork on them, so I could screen away to my hearts content. But I also finished a bag a tea towel and a piece of artwork.


It's so nice to hold something in your hand and say look what i did today.
All by myself ... like show and tell in prep, all over again.

So today for show and tell I have:

My new bag.

I created the images by scanning doilies around the house, then circle or oval cropping them, zooming and shrinking them and laying them out to look like a flower bed.
The screens and print turned out perfect.

My art piece.

I loved it so much that I stretched it over a canvas when I got home.

It's a generic deer head taken from a copyright free collection of animal images I have.
I was worried it look like a prize head, so I layered in some branches, hoping it seemed she was poking her head out the bushes...alive and well.

...and my screens

These are two of my finished screens, permanently exposed and ready for zillions of prints to come.
The front one was created using rubylith which fortunately Thea and Sami explored over on her blog today for you all to see.
The blocky looking one at the front will act as screen one in a multi color print, with the more detailed flowers going over the top. I've never done two color prints before, so I see many lost hours of color experimentation coming up.

Very excited indeed.

If you'd like to learn screen printing too, and you're in Melbourne check out Olive Grove Studios.
For classes in Queensland, who else but Thea and Sami.

Never stop learning.
Jay xx