ANOTHER strange month for us all and whilst there is still much uncertainty there are also signs of hope. As lock-down rules are slowly eased we’re able to get out and about a bit more which in this beautiful weather we’ve been having is a real bonus. I’ve really appreciated my garden this year and I think I’ve even managed to convert Mr. Stitches to the wonders of growing things! To be fair he’s been helping me in the garden for years but I think this year he’s actually really enjoyed it!
I’ve had a surprisingly busy month. I was delighted to be awarded a micro commission from the Stove Network in Dumfries for my ‘Feathers of Hope’ project as part of their Homegrown initiative. It was a great opportunity to make some focused work and to connect with people. For my project I drew a feather each day and connected it to a hope for the future. It was a lovely chance to spend some time working through some of the thoughts that have been buzzing round my head in these strange times and also a much needed creative focus for me. If you’d like to find out more I’ve written a blog post and you can have a look at some of the other ‘Homegrown’ artists on the Stove Network’s site.
Part of the commission involved creating an artists talk video, which really pushed my technical skills to their limit but I did learn a lot! On the subject of technical skills I also ran my first online workshop last month: Beautiful Book Covers. I was very nervous; more nervous about a workshop than I have been for a long time but my participants were all lovely and it went really well. It’s very different to running a workshop ‘in real life’ but there are advantages and it was great to be able to work from home! As I was in my studio I had everything to hand and I even got my lunch made for me (thanks again Mr. Stitches!)
Set up for my online workshop: Beautiful Book Covers
I enjoyed the session so much I’ve booked two more online workshops. My last workshop participants gave me some really useful feedback so I’m hoping that these workshops will be even better! One of the good things to come out of this crisis is the way that people have banded together to help each other and I’ve had a lot of help from Curator Space to get my online workshops up and running. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for ages and whilst I obviously would rather we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic some good things have come out of it.
The two sessions I’m running will both take place on Zoom and can both be booked through Curator Space. On Friday 19th June I’m going to run my ‘Textile Jewellery: Suffolk Puffs’ workshop where you’ll learn the traditional patchwork technique of Suffolk Puffs and how to use them to create unique and beautiful jewellery, such as brooches and necklaces.
I’m also running my ‘Inventive Sketchbook Making’ session on Friday 3rd July where we’ll be folding, cutting and sticking our way to a collection of quirky personal sketchbooks that are great for all sorts of things; drawing, note making, presents or whatever else you like to use your sketchbooks for. I’d love you to come and join me; just follow the links to book!
Until next time; stay safe, follow the guidelines and stay creative!
Helen
Helen will be releasing details of her next Tullie Textiles session on her Facebook page Sunday, 7 June. To find out more or sign up for this online craft group visit her FB page here.
