January Blues

Bless me followers, it has been 6 weeks since my last blog post. But you see there was this whole Christmas thing going on that makes people rush around like fools. At the peak of that busyness I typed MADNESS into my laptop when prompted for my password! A sign of what was to come....actually, all that came was a sack full of horrid cold germs on Christmas morning :-( Me and the kids had bad colds, hubby had flu...of course.
But now it is a fresh shiny New Year. I tend to hibernate in January and February. It help me get through this these cold grey months without being completely miserable and horrid to live with. But this year is different. I eased back into to work slowly with a spot of self indulgent painting. Very therapeutic creative play.

I have already had two birthday parties in the studio (one was my daughters). How can you have the January blues when surrounded by a group of giggling girls all excited about using a singer sewing machine. It is the gateway drug into a lifelong addiction to sewing.....;-)

The lovely dolls they made.  (zombie style for some reason)

Her is my baby showing them how it's done.

I made some heart bunting....just because.

Every Thursday I get to work with some wonderful kids on my Art Residency. There enthusiasm is infectious. Here are the quilt blocks they have been working on.

This is how it started way back in September with year 1 and 2.

A term later and Year 6 are adding their layer.

I will take some more photos this week and write a more detailed post on  the process. It is almost ready to put together and hang.

Next week I start a 6 week course with a few students as part of the schools Children's University. We are making work inspired by the Austrian artist, ecologist, architect and visionary Hundertwasser.

I think it is fair to say that I am more excited about this than the kids at the moment!!!!! 

With so many fabulous creative things to do, the January Blues have been kicked out the window and my rose tinted specs put back on. My sunny disposition has returned much earlier than usual.

Get creative people and beat those blues over the head with a big fat paint brush or point them in the eye with a pointy knitting needle. Surround yourself with positive people....kids are good for that... preferably not your own ;-) Stop thinking and start doing.........with no game plan or envisaged end result. Just enjoy the process. It might just help a little.

Happy New Year lovely people.

xxxxxxx