Two of the 'expanded' exercises. Day three of the tour saw me back at Sylvia McCann's studio with a large group of ladies KEEN!!!! to have a go at creating original designs - shock, horror!!! We started with The Journey. Basically a mark marking exercise but with a journey in mind, can be an imaginary one or taking the children to school, and NO! you don't need to be able to draw or paint. This is all explained in my book Experimental Textiles. It's great fun once everyone gets started, get some painting music on the Ipod and you are off!          There were so many 'Journeys', Alison, Sylvia's lovely daughter and maker of of wonderful cakes had to take this shot for me from an upstairs window  Next it was onto the 'expanded' exercise - strips of black paper cut and stuck down with 'spaces in between' in mind.      All the 'expanded' exercises laid out down the centre of the room - I had to stand

   Four of the 'Journeys' hanging longways. Apologies for the absence, life has been a little complicated of late . . .  Bank Holiday weekend saw me teaching the first session of Experimental Textiles 2 at The Old Needle Works in Redditch. We have five in the group after two had to withdraw for various reasons. Having such a small group means we can get more done - which is brilliant. The first session was very similar to what was in the previous post - creating original designs. Work done on this session will form the backbone of the first few months of the course.     We started with the 'Journey' exercise.  A section of the 'Journeys'.  We then went onto the 'Expanded' exercise. Looking at positive and negative space.        Then it was onto 'Flipping out' -   Then is was onto taking sections of all the exercises - thus creating original designs . . . . These sections were th