Still Life box by Jane Wolfe   I had intended to add a few of these images to my newsletter, but this collection of work is so good, I wanted to write more about them, so I am writing an extra blog post. The three students mentioned today are on the current online Experimental Textiles course. When drawing and painting is not normally part of your practice, it can very daunting to paint and draw a still life. I don't ask students to draw for the sake of making a picture, I ask so they can actively look at line and form. The spaces in between, the composition. Above - Jane's still life. Below - the still life drawing Jane's finished box. The still life was stuck to orange cotton then cut to shape and folded.   To make drawing and painting a still life less terrifying, I tell my students they will be tearing their work up when the they have finished drawing and painting. This helps to take away the fear of what the finished drawing or painting will look like. To make it more

 A fabulous contrast between light and dark       The clocks have changed - it is getting darker earlier. It's the time of year when  you want to start snuggling in, getting cosy. There is a definitely nip in the air. Time to get out the thick jumpers. The light is changing, getting more dramatic as the days are getting shorter. Because we have so much rain in Ireland, and of course on Loop Head where I live, we have the most wonderful displays of light and colour. The day can be dark with glowering grey clouds, then the clouds part and a shaft of sunlight hits the green fields, Wow!! I love it. 'The Last One' - Mixed media and collage This is one of my latest canvases interpreting the local cows ambling up the low incline on the way to milking. It is one of my favourite sights. I find the rhythm of rural life here very comforting. Another great sky And my interpretation in painted fusible web and newspaper The huge skies and ever changing light will be inspiring me forever

Gorgeous newspaper faux chenille  It takes a lot to winkle me out of my life on the edge of the world. I thought long and hard about leaving for a few days to teach in Inverness, but thought it might be fun so I put Poppy into my wonderful dog minders and off I tootled. I'm SO glad I did. The C.A.T. group have been meeting for many years and because of this they are a fabulous group to work with. They are an absolute joy. Great fun but they also work hard.     The group working away on the first morning painting up their Bondaweb. The 2 day workshop we decided on was a combination of A New Starting Point and Newspaper Faux Chenille. They wanted to have some fun, not worry what anything looked like. This took the pressure off and the group enjoyed playing and going with the process.    Starting lay up the 'backgrounds' and 'prettys'.  A New Starting Point involves working with painted newspapers, old maps, books . . . The process is to make

A beautiful torn paper sample. I am nearly at the end of my three week teaching tour of the West Country. I have a day off today to tootle around Honiton and then drive to Nailsworth near Stroud for my last 2 day workshop tomorrow and Wednesday. Then it is home. Last week I taught for three days at the Beads for Beauty studio in Babbacombe run by Sylvia McCann and her daughter Alison.   www.fabbeads.co.uk A two day version of 'A New Starting Point' and a one day workshop - 'Now You See It' which I will write up when I get back home. I love teaching at Sylvia's, it is a well equipped workroom and everyone is always so well looked after. A New Starting Point is my newspaper based workshop. Great fun!   Who would have thought you could have such fun with  old newspapers and books. A good roomy and well equipped workroom. Getting down to decorating the newspaper samples. I love teaching this workshop, you never quite know what is going to