Under the Sea

For reasons known only to my subconscious I began to explore the concept of those lost at sea, and at the same time had the urge to make a present for my fish. Hence, the fish have a new flake holder and I still don't know what my mind was on about.

Either way I am happy with the end result, liquid nails, pink, blue and green fimo molded shapes, a shell, golf tees, gauze bandage, and layers and layers of paint (all applied in washes and blasted with the heat gun) on a tin milk churn. The end result may not be deMeng, but the skills (if I can call them that) were learnt in his class.

Michael de Meng Workshop

Let me begin by saying that Michael de Meng is an awesome teacher and this was my favourite workshop of the three I completed on the weekend… and yet there was a journey to that point.

I took this class to challenge myself, to move outside of my comfort zone. At the time I signed up I was in a paper phase, and Michael’s dark colours and focus on celebrating the lives of the dead, as well as the very abstract nature of some of his work was an enigma to me.

I love this picture with the sun on the shrine and will have to find a sunny spot to hang it.

I entered the class on Friday morning tired, with a knot in my tummy and wishing that this was not my first class, I was feeling quite inadequate. My friend Sally was there to encourage me. However we were both a little bemused when after a brief introduction (both to Michael and liquid nails) we were encouraged to get some things that appealed to us and begin designing our shrines. I was muttering, ‘But how?’, ‘What is the process?’ and more.

And yet by morning tea a form was taking shape, an idea of art, not driven by the head but the heart (hence the winged being with an empty head). An idea of art emerging triumphantly from within. As I write this, I realise that the centredness (another Julie word) I arrived home with began here.

Michael gave some amazing colour combinations for paint to the whole class. For the rest of the day he moved around being available to everyone, without favour, and yet never imposing himself on any group or art work. If you get a chance to do a class with Michael take it! He is so generous with his praise and help, and in the end his organic teaching style releases individuality. The shrines are not clear on the photo of our end products – but each of us ended up with unique works of art. After a shaky start I would have quite happily spent three days in workshops with Michael - and the liquid nails!

I have a couple more Nina knots to tie before my booklace is finished, and a little work to go on my fabric journal so will finish them and blog them as they are done.