Mixed media workshop

I have been making the final, final preparations for the mixed media workshop that I will be teaching in September.
This idea was born out of the sheer number of times people have walked into the studio and wistfully express their desire to be creative and their robust conviction that they can't be.

I don't believe that they can't and it actually makes me feel really sad that they do believe it, so I set myself the challenge of gently leading them back to the joy of creating because most of us had it once upon a time.
Back when we were children.

It starts with a formula to overcome the 'blank white page' syndrome of being afraid to make that first mark.
Then mixing lots of implements and materials to provide different textures and marks and the only drawing skills required are the ones that we all had in primary school before anyone told us that " a bird, a house, a flower.....doesn't look like that."
Or maybe nobody told us those things but when shown our creations they didn't respond with the same enthusiasm and delight that we had in the making of it.
And somehow or own light dimmed a little.

It all begins with ripping pages from a magazine....any page that sings to you....either the image....or the colours....or maybe some text.
Don't think too much just rip.

Today I photographed each stage of the process, including the bit where I answered the phone and left paint to dry too long and things went a bit tits up, as they do. What I love about this whole process is that generally it's quite easy to incorporate the tits up or restore it.
 Or just damn well celebrate it.
Because after all this is just play.

And colour choices are largely determined by what is already there in the under-layers so no great decisions to make there either.

I added a mandala moon that frankly did not please my eye so I overlaid it with a white circle of acrylic......the 'mistake' is still visible but ....it is what it is ....because there are no mistakes.
None.
Just got to convince a few other people of that.