Nina Bagley Workshop

I had a blissful 'art day' at home yesterday and finished attaching the chain to my booklace. It was 38 degrees here today (for my American friends that's celcius - and hot - It is 100 degrees F) and my students were fractious so it is nice to come back to this piece of art.

Nina (said nine-a) was a delight to learn from, I knew she would be kind, wise and gentle. What I did not suspect was feisty - who forgot the mica? and why did those staff kick us out of the room so early?

Nina was very patient with us, her students, as she taught drilling, aging and the famous Nina knot, repeating the process step by step until we were all able to make joins with 'some' competence. I want to add some more beads into my chain but don't have all I need to age some more copper so will leave it for now.

I was working a lot with butterflies before I went away -feeling as if I was emerging and beginning to fly again; praying for the strength to 'rise up on wings as eagles'. The birds are, for me, an in between phase - the next step forward on my current journey.

I so enjoyed learning from Nina and seeing her heart on display, both in the way she taught us and in her own jewellery (which is even more beautiful up close), and would have loved to have had time to chat with her about her artistic process.

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.