Spring pastels and Creation myths.

I found an unfinished tapestry of little spring birds for $2. All the boring bits had already been done. The cottons were still there , except white , but I'll have that somewhere in my yarn stash. I might use it for the front of a sweet handbag , at some later date. Cute and Sugary colours.
I have been doing an evening school course this year , and am on my third course already , in water painting and chalk pastels. These are some of my latest pastel drawings . The theme of this course is Creation myths. The teachers reads us a myth from around the world and then we interpret it on paper , however you like. This is from the Maori legend of how Earthmother and Skyfather were separated by one of their children pushing them away , and letting in a spark of light.
The teacher often brings something to inspire a colour exercise , and this is my interpretation of a camellia flower , which bloom here in the wintertime. I am pleased with how I did all these tiny petals in the middle. I love playing with pastels , you get to use your fingers to rub in the colours and you can go over the top again to saturate or to blend with other colours . It's deliciously mucky !!
Here we were told the Celtic creation myth . The part I liked the best is when the Goddess Brighid spread her silver mantle onto the chaos of destroyed monsters and primeval soup on the earth . It's edges spread with white flames across the surface , which turned into a silver mist healing the earth. And making it fertile land.

I am trying to get better at drawing human shapes , but I seem to be better at flowers. So they are just a general shape. Main thing is I am having fun doing it.
This is the beginning of a banner in felt. In one& 1/2 weeks time I'll be going to the southern hemisphere felters convergence in Masterton. It goes for 5 days and there will be about 170 other felters from mainly New Zealand and Australia , and an invited guest artist from the UK. People will be donating skills and knowledge every day and you can choose (which will be really difficult..!) from about 4 different demos and lectures 4 times a day , plus slide shows , our own fashion show , themed days , a bazaar afternoon. And to top it off , we'll be going to the Wearable Art Show in Wellington.

I will have to take lots of things , like pen and paper , camera , show-and-tell , a banner for selling to raise funds for the next time (see beginnings above ), oh and a pair of binoculars for the show. It will be nice to see old felting friends again , and to meet new ones.

Most years I go to a felter's retreat , to meet with about 45 others from around NZ, and make felt together. It usually goes for 3 days and is great for new ideas and methods and new contacts. A lot of fun is had. I go home refreshed and inspired.

As you can imagine I am getting quite exited!!