Sherrill Kahn in Townsville

I am ashamed to say that It's been a month since I returned from Townsville where I thoroughly enjoyed a week's workshop with Sherrill Kahn, celebrated artist and author, and I am just getting around to reviewing my photos. The sample of Sherrill's work pictured above is a good example of the art techniques and composition and design principles we learnt. Having been inspired by Sherrill's books prior to the workshop, I had doubts about whether I had chosen the right class.as I have had very little experience with paint. However, I soon found myself experimenting with so many different techniques both on paper and fabric. Sherrill gave us many demonstrations over the five days, and we had plenty of time to try each technique ourselves. I have a pile of great samples!

One of my favourite techniques was to use inexpensive hair gel with paint .... this is still a work in progress, but I am working on this for the ArchiTextiles Exhibition next month.

And I am still amazed at these results on black fabric ... extraordinary outcomes from the ordinary- a foam tray as a print block, a ball point pen to create the designs and some acrylic paint.

I was delighted to make some little dolls during the workshop. Sherrill's method of stitching and cutting painted/ coloured fabric images is also simple with stunning results. Besides the ones I made in class, I have been experimenting and using the technique to create pin dolls with commercially printed fabrics and with stamps I already had.

One of the really great " asides" of the workshop was the exercise to " see" our surroundings. Sherrill asked us to take 20 photos each day, and I have been doing that most days since taking the class. At first, I thought, what could be interesting in school grounds ( after all, I spent most of my working life in schools and their surroundings). Mistaken again! I now have hundreds of really inspiring images... here are four I took on the first day of the workshop in Townsville in the grounds of the Cathedral School.

Thanks to the sensational Sherrill and to my wonderful class mates for a really creative, sharing, inspiring and fantastic week.

For more photos, please go this blog's page entitled Sherrill Kahn's Townsville Class, or at flickr

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