Helping each other tap into our creativity

Soft Sculpture.....Got Me Thinking

The first class was last Saturday from 10am to noon. I always thought I was as abstract random as one could get. Well, I was wrong. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! The instructor is an artist from here in town. He has done many murals on the side of buildings and had several shows at the Art Center. A very nice fellow. But. I wonder how he ever gets anything done. Slowly, I believe.

He absolutely was not prepared. The only things he brought was a package of white canvas and pages of copied bananas. (never know quite how to spell bananas...one n or two in the middle. no matter how I spell the word it comes out wrong...now that is abstract random.) He actually went to Kinkos and copied all sides of a banana. Then had them blow it up. I learned Kinkos will blow up anything to any size for $1.00.

Then we had to cut around the banana patterns to make a stencil. He traced around the stencil, what I do not know is whether he traced inside or outside the stencil. When we cut out the stencil, we cut around the copied banana, there were six parts to the fruit. We had to use an exacto knife, the same one. So, we each took a turn. He had no scissors and only one exacto knife. And that knife was not very good. One of the gals decided it was taking too long and went to Kmart to buy a pair of scissors. By the time she got back we were done tracing the banana pattern with the exacto knife. The same gal had brought her sewing machine and she sewed the parts together and Voila! we had a banana. The artist was going to take it home and paint it. We get to see it this Saturday.

Not only did he not have scissors or several exacto knives he did not have a good tracing pen for material, pins to pin the banana together before sewing ( he used a glue stick), and more. Yet, it all came together in the end. That is a true artist.

We all paid $45 for the class, with the understanding supplies would be provided. Alas, no. There were some, like the package of canvas he brought was enough for a tent. We were to spend this week deciding what we were going to make, buy the materials, make the pattern...well at least the the basic copies, blow them up to the size wanted, and bring everything on Saturday. However, to me it is worth it. The instructor, as abstract random as he is, is worth his weight in gold and more. He is a very talented fellow. It seems we artist types are extremely talented, and yes that includes writers too, even if we are a wee bit insane.

So, I have angst, since last weekend about what I was going to make. My original idea about making a huge hibiscus soft sculpture to use as a pillow hit the dirt when I discovered the picture I took did not come through on my digital camera. I did everything right and even checked to make sure it was there. It was and now when I want it , it is missing. On to other ideas. I could do the treasure box I kept my crystals in. I could do a cat...how do you copy all sides of a cat? Hmmmmm. This morning it came to me.

I am going to my husbands top hat and one of my fedoras. Easy! Circular and perhaps confusing, but I will prevail once I get going.

The thing with us creative types is we might not know what we are going to do until we do it. At that time it all becomes clear!!! Now where did I hide my sewing machine?

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