I've spent today in New York artist Jonathan Talbot's 'Dancing With Design' collage workshop at the Vancouver Island School of Art, exploring the process of composition, and this collage is what I made at the day's end. Jonathan has sold over 35 000 pieces of art and listening to him was like entering a much larger world where anything is possible. I had expected we would examine each design element and principle and how to use them effectively in various ways, with plenty of hands on. Instead, I have the sense that I opened the door to a hurricane of such magnitude that I still don't know what hit me - in a different and positive way. The learning feels complex and in need of digesting; a view of a larger whole. Sometimes I wish I could bottle the essence of a workshop experience, to uncork and breathe in, in the future. I'd label this one 'Talbottle' - for a tall order and tall shoes to fill.
I added Spanish onion and camellias from my garden to the dye pot, hoping to get a more pinkish beige. 
Instead, I have a wave of neutrals that I made using - rickrack! The idea popped into mind because I wanted to change the Shibori's line spacing and thought a thicker kind of tie would also be interesting . 
And I am participating in Jude Hill's Whispering Hearts series - not a class per se, but a match to what is very dear to my heart and how I work - noticing process and following it. Jude is sharing her process in real time - which is also my preference, as it is energized and alive, not after the fact. I had started this piece a few months ago and decided some of the flowers could become hearts - maybe flying hearts. 
Handstitching is uplifting and I like allowing the breeze to draw me to where I'm going next. 
Tonight is the opening of our Mark Making With Machine class exhibition at the Victoria College of Art and if it's like the previous one I was part of, it will be packed! 
