Doing Courses and keeping Calm

Over Christmas, which became disappointingly quiet thanks to the Sydney lockdown,  I compensated by making calm, quiet veneers for some pieces for Trove. Some necklaces to sit calmly in the shop after the frenzy of  the pre Christmas period! But thanks to that frenzy, I am treating myself to some courses!  Strangely enough, I didn't do many courses last year and apparently that's what many people did! For an introverted artist, some aspects of lockdown were normal...dare I say enjoyable. I could relate to this!  I know my Victorian friends really suffered though!One course I did last year was Tracy Holmes' Breakthrough Colour which continues soon. This is not a specifically polymer course and one of the strengths is the connection with artist from various backgrounds. Tracy turns your basic understanding of colour mixing on its head in a fantastic and practical way. For me anyway. Looking forward to a deeper dive!I am also doing a course with  Christine Dumont who is, fortunately for me (whose High School French would not cut the moutarde), offering her online Materiality course in English!  It has only just started and already I am buzzing. This is one of the many things I love about this medium. I have been working in it for 30 years and am constantly surprised by how it can be used/ pushed/ treated/ combined. This course is taking me way outside my familiar places and I am loving it!I am also virtually doing Signals, a Clayathon workshop with Anke Humpert!  I am intrigued to learn how to make a necklace that uses polymer clay for ALL the components. Anke is a master at exploring this kind of constructional stuff!! No need for generic chain, cords or ties! Or even my beloved coloured O rings! I love the ones in the necklaces photographed here. Just so....calm.Anyway, enough for now. My own classes will start again soon and I have, in a burst of somewhat uncharacteristic organisation drawn up a 6 month program. I know. Incredible. Let me know if you want me to email it to you!!