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It’s a snow day today… but more on that later.

Last weekend marked the dates for the last design class session. As you remember, if you have been following this blog for a while, I offer design classes from my studio during the winter months. This year I ran two classes (Friday and Saturday) due to high interest and demand. We had clear sailing, so to speak, in January and February despite record snow falls. I guess I shouldn’t have praised the roads and our luck earlier last week – the weather changed and more ice and snow were in the forecast for Friday’s session. It was a unanimous decision to postpone the class by a week.

Saturday’s class went ahead as scheduled, the sun was shining and everyone arrived in good time for their tutorial. I always treasure my time with each individual. We review the work produced at home independently. Excitement builds with each sketchbook page turned, and no matter how much work a students is able to produce the most important fact remains: If each person begins to see the world with different eyes, the class is a success. Feedback that a student now evaluates a magazine layout with more knowledge, thinks about redecorating a room in their house based on color theory, or creates a garden plot with Fibonacci principles in mind spells success.

On Monday I checked the long-range weather forecast (sorry about the digression…) and detected that more snow was in the forecast for Friday this week. Three hours later and numerous phone calls, emails and instant text messages (thank goodness for technology) the Friday class was moved up to Tuesday. We were greeted with glorious sunshine.

Tutorials went by fast and we soon gathered in the classroom one more time. Like last Saturday we briefly shared some of the homework and then moved on to the Elements and Principles of Design in practice. Art books were distributed and every student chose an image or painting to evaluate and subsequently share with the group. Some lively discussions filled the studio space and during sharing time each “I like” and “I dislike” was substantiated with proper design terms. Everyone’s design vocabulary has grown – a sure measure of success for me.

Session three is not the last time we gather. Everyone is off completing some unfinished work, and planning a final piece for the exhibition in June. We gather again on June 1st to share the work with one another, ask for input if we are “stuck” and generally reconnect. I am only an email or phone call away during the next two month. June 21st – 23rd will be the final exhibition for the design workshop participants. Make sure to mark these dates on your calendar if you live close by or plan to travel to the area at that time.

I can hardly wait for June. I know – one should never wish time away. However, this winter has dragged on much too long. We just got ploughed out from the last two snow storms.

We ventured into town yesterday and battled blowing snow both ways. The noon hour presentation at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery was well worth the trip into town, as was the chance to get together with friends for coffee afterwards. The trip home was timely – 15 minutes later and we would not have made it across the vanishing country roads. Today the highway is closed – another snow day… I am not cheering but will close today’s post in my friend’s (no names shall be mentioned…) words. She texted me yesterday: Happy “where the h… is” Spring!

Enjoy your day and make the best of it!

21 Mar This entry was published on March 21, 2013 at 10:52 am. It’s filed under Art, Creativity Update, Design, Journaling, Studio / Workshop / Creative Space Challenge and tagged Blowing snow, Design, Design elements and principles, Fibonacci, Moose Jaw. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.