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| "Unfolding Ideas" workshop - Toni Hartill. Photo: Jo Malherbe. |
As part of my Waiprint guest artist gig back in July/August 2019 I was invited to teach a workshop. As my exhibition included one of my artist books I chose to focus my lesson plan on generating and inspiring ideas to create folded structures and artist books.
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| Artist books "Field Notes - Manawa" by Toni Hartill |
The workshop was held on Saturday 7th September in Hamilton in the WSA basement studio of the Artspost building. We had a full house of 12 wonderful creative folk from a variety of backgrounds including printmakers, textile artists, ceramicists, an oil painter, a fairy box creator(!) and bookmakers (making me particularly nervous as I am NOT a bookmaker - technically speaking.)
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| Artist Books by Toni Hartill Photo: Jo Malherbe |
I began by showing a large selection of my own "books", sharing my inspirations and ways of working to connect an initial idea with the chosen structure in order to better communicate ideas.
Next, beginning with simple one-page structures and moving onto more complicated folded shapes and structures, everyone created a set of samplers to test ideas and to refer back to.You know you are among your "tribe" when you reveal, for example, how to fold an origami box or how to make an "explosion book" and everyone squeals and gets out their cameras!! Such a fun response!
Finally it was time for free-play and everyone worked on structures that resonated with personal ideas and themes and made use of materials they had brought along to upcycle/ reuse/ breathe new life into.
Many people also brought along examples of books and structures they had made in the past to share with others, contributing to the wonderful supportive atmosphere of the workshop.
It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to share my love of creative play and so inspiring seeing their ideas develop and sharing in their happy accidents, which is when the real magic happens!
Thanks to all who
participated.
It was such fun meeting you all and inspiring to see your ideas developing!
Thanks especially to Janice Meadows for the invitation,
and for all her work in making it happen.
Many thanks to Joanne Malherbe
who has written up a review of the workshop for the
October WSA Art Connections Newsletter, 2019.
She is very generous in her praise
and I am completely humbled...
and blushing.
Scroll to the end of the post to read Joanne's article.
To find out more about the
Waikato Society of Arts, WSA,
visit:
Following the workshop I received many positive messages
from participants who had so enjoyed the workshop
and were excited about where their new ideas and skills
were going to take them.
What better reward can there be?!
See below for Joanne Malherbe's account of attending the workshop.
Thanks for visiting!
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