Today I attended a workshop learning how to do lino prints so I can decorate some of my books. I am mightily pleased with myself because I actually created something that looks like what I meant it to. Ever since primary school (a long time ago, folks,) I regarded myself as having not one bit of skill in producing any kind of art or craft. I can still remember my art teacher in Year 7, the last year I was required to do art, looking at my work and sadly shaking his head. Since starting on bookbinding, I've developed a little confidence in being able to make nice looking books. Today I was required to come up with a small design for a first practice piece. Help! But I thought I'd do something really simple and fun (remember my motto), and I did this:
On the left is the inked up piece of lino, which I drew myself (I said the design had to be simple). And on the right is the print, with a bit of color added. Hopefully I don't have to tell you what it is.
This is my second, larger print, the original is beneath.
For the final piece, the tram was traced onto a piece of foam, but this is not very robust and may not be worth doing again. Although the Man Who Cooks (and also Has Good Ideas) said I could glue it onto a piece of wood to make it last longer.
The next great thing was meeting a blogger buddy Sharon at the workshop; this was the first time I've met a blogger buddy face to face. We're going to get together for coffee near a local craft shop. We've had our blogs through which we have communicated, now we've attended a workshop together and can share ideas on that. I've seen and admired Sharon's seahorse on her blog, a theme she used today in class. It turned out beautifully. Hopefully she'll post a photo of it too.
Finally, tomorrow is the first day of the academic year, with hundreds of new students pouring through the library, and guess who is NOT going to be there: me! because...
I...
am...
retired!
15 comments:
Hi Val, Lethals Lads won the water polo in Darwin, don't know how they'll get on when they change to footy next week.
How great that you got to meet a fellow blogger in real life!
Val, I would never ever have thought that you weren't artistic!
My art teacher in Jr High actually laughed at my work, and told me that I had absolutely no talent whatsoever.
I believed her!
You create the most beautiful things and I envy talent like that!!
xo
Those prints look very cool, Val!
Glad to hear you are revelling in your retired status as the new Uni year begins!
Livin' the dream aren't you Val!!
Great news about the Blues game. I missed it due to being unable to get out of prior social engagements - what were the organisers thinking? However, I heard that Fev played awesome...
2007 here we come....???
Val hi! I was just going to mention about your beloved blues when I came in only to see and I should ahve known you mentioned them in a post, they did a great job "keep it going like that boys"
I loved the art you showed us and you can see it comes from a true artist, very nice.
You have a lovely week you lucky retired lady
Lee-ann
Hi Val ~~ You are a very talented lady with your books and crafts ---
apart from your choice of footy teams
which just shows what excellent taste
you have!! Thanks for your vsit and glad you enjoyed the jokes.
Take care, Love, Merle.
Hi Val *waving*!
That art teacher has a LOT to answer for!! These are great, and I am really impressed by them. They're really effective ~ WOW!
How nice also to meet a fellow blogger buddy, Sharon.
Your Dad visited?! What a treat to be able to catch up. I can relate to the wrench at the airport.
Congrats. on your beloved 'Blues' win, I hope they have a successful year.
I loved the end of your post...yay for you, on your continued enjoyment and growth during your retirement. Have a rippa week :)
Wouldn't you like to go to that teacher now and show her how artistic you are??!!! hehe The lino prints you made are WONDERFUL!! Ooooh what fun, meeting a fellow blogger...I hope to do that this summer too:-) What a great feeling it must be to know you don't have to worry about having to go back to work...yeahhhhhh!! xox
I, too, hated art and resented being forced to take art in the 7th grade. Our art teacher was colorblind, by the way. We never did anything other than try to draw pictures he showed on an overhead. In other words, he was lazy and never did any preperation nor followed California's scope and sequence skill sets adopted by our department of education.
However, when I taught young children (7 to 8 year olds) I began doing "crafts" with the kids. Papermache, finger painting, etc., and they loved it. I was amazed at the creativity.
Although I couldn't draw to save my life, there were wonderful books with project ideas. I also adopted art when I taught intermediate grades (6th homeroom, english 5-8) and we did 3-d clay map models of Mexico, and we did a project in 7th grade of recreating a scale model of Shapespeare's globe theater. Anyone can paint, anyone can do clay.
I suppose the lesson here is that we are often convinced we are "untalented" when, in fact, we haven't had the proper experience nor the encouragement to try.
And my art/craft projects only created grief for me. My classroom often had to be mopped, and clay does get in unique places. I feel it was worthwhile, although I was highly criticized, I know I did the developmentally correct thing.
Very cool prints, when you put them on your books, please show us. I do some tole painting, not that good, but it's the time I have all for myself, it's just so relaxing.
Val, I love lino prints. One of my roommates in Tahoe learned how to do them and she produced some incredible work. I have thought of doing some wood prints but haven't gotten the free evening to try them, (plus I have no clue where the carving tools are, lol). End of March we are clearing out the bookcases of non bookish items and we will see if they show up then! Your work is lovely.
Annette
Hey everyone! Thanks for such great feedback. But I hope you all realise that only the martini glass was my own drawing (and I'm really proud of that one), the others were from designs found on the internet or graphics files and I traced them. Even so, I'm very happy with the results. Another idea I want to use is a giraffe (my favorite animal), and as I was looking at the photo I printed out, I realised that a giraffe's skin is the ideal design for a lino print.
Hi Val,
To see and execute images in reverse like that must be really hard. I don't think I could do it.
Now what is that...? Just pulling your leg Val :) It's a lovely martini glass.
You've done a great job and are extremely talented with your book making.
It's a sad fact that there are teachers out there who are not at all encouraging. I was very lucky to have 2 wonderful art teachers during my school years.
I especially love your choice of colours in the coloured print.
What fun meeting a fellow blogger! I see you're still exulting.....that's great! :) xoxo
Hi Val
Hooray for the mighty blues; I do hope for a better season than last!!
Your bookmaking is tremendous and may I say represents the late flowering of a considerable talent. We are all often reminded of school; or even early work days; the shaking of heads and the discouragement which so often acts as an inhibiter. I am glad to see it has not dampened your enthusiasm in life in any way; that I can see !!.
Best wishes
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