Creativity Coach?

It's time to talk a little bit about Tuesday at the Table with Ida and Sally. (I love all the t's in that sentence!)  Working with these women around my table has been an absolute joy....and something I am willing to do with anyone who is interested. (And maybe we could even do it on Zoom.)

I've not always thought about myself as an artist....but I've been a teacher for as long as I can remember. I stumbled into my actual school teaching career by accident....but I grew into my art teaching quite naturally.  I've always enjoyed facilitating creativity and being a resource for anyone who showed interest. Paul recently thought I should call myself a "Creativity Coach"...and I  kind of like the sounds of that.  

Sports coaches don't necessarily have to be the best athletes...but they have to know enough to help inspire and turn their players into better athletes. Ted Lasso (have you seen that wonderful series?) didn't know anything about soccer....but he was a great coach. 

So maybe as a Creativity Coach...I don't have to be an accomplished artist...I just need to know enough to help my students uncover and tap into their own creativity....and facilitate and inspire art making.

My goal with Sally and Ida has been to facilitate the kind of art that they want to do but also introduce them to some new techniques and skills that might inspire them to widen their scope. I'm willing to try anything they're interested in....and chances are...I have most of what we might need.

I've also decided that anyone who takes a class with me will go home with as much supply and stash as they could possibly want...it's just part of the price of admission. So both Ida and Sally get to fill a bag anytime they come.   

This last Tuesday I offered up the idea of starting collage with a "masterboard"...or "mastersheet".....and both Ida and Sally gave it a try.  I describe what a masterboard is in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2022/09/mastersheet.html

Ida collaged a neutral masterboard....then cut it up and worked on the individual pieces adding pops of color and layers with painted papers and even a grassy napkin.  They are all works in progress that she can continue to develop at home.

We talked about how using something like this circle cutout (from a road map) can unify a piece and help pull it all together.  Ida can choose whether she wants to use it or not because I sent it home with her.

Sally started with more color in her masterboard...and certain areas were a little stark. I showed her how she could use zinc white paint to softened some of the colors and lines and unify the piece. ...and she can decide if it still needs a little more.  Once she cuts this up...she can start adding layers and more pops of color and collage elements on the smaller pieces.

Using a viewfinder...I showed her how she could isolate parts she liked to cut out and develop further.  

 

We also talked about the magic of using tissue...both hand drawn and printed....as well as pretty napkins when you separate the layers.  They also help soften a piece and work as a veil as the background just fades away and the design looks like it was drawn or painted on. I use a lot of hand drawn swirls in my collage work.

I painted these white swirls on deli paper and worked them into this collage for Becky. I love painting swirls in gold. Sally used one in her masterboard.

Recently I've been hand doodling on art tissue with a permanent marker or paint pens...and even sending tissue through my printer.  If I want to be sure the image doesn't smear, I collage it upside down.

When I use words...like this alphabet I print it backwards so when I turn it upside you can actually read it right side up like in this piece.  No smearing...and it looks like it's written right on the piece.

  

To put a piece of art tissue through my printer I tape it to a piece of paper...making sure the tape is really secure.  I turned it upside down in my printer tray and just print as usual.  

Now these two images of this black and white photo can be used as an overlay in one of my collages.  

Here Sally used a few of my doodles in one of her collages and the colorful striped parts are commercial tissue that I had doodled on. 

I sent them both home with art tissue so they could doodle their own.  

Creativity Coach?  Yup...that's what I want to be when I grown up.